South African Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius, in prison for murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, may soon meet her parents as part of the process leading to parole being considered, officials say. He is eligible for possible release after having served half his sentence. But he first has to take part in what is called “restorative justice”. Pistorius shot Steenkamp dead in 2013 saying he mistook her for a burglar at his home in the capital, Pretoria. The 34-year-old fired four times through a locked toilet door. In a statement, South Africa’s department of correctional services said it was talking to the Steenkamp family about a possible meeting. Outlining what needs to happen before parole is considered, the statement says that offenders must “acknowledge and take responsibility for their actions”. As part of the restorative justice process there has to be “an opportunity for parties to reconcile or an apology”. The Steenkamps’ lawyer, Tania Koen, told national broadcaster SABC that they “would like to participate in the victim-offender dialogue”.
SOURCE: BBC
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