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June Steenkamp doubts Oscar Pistorius' “rehabilitation” given lack of “remorse”

June Steenkamp, mother of the late Reeva Steenkamp, in court in Pretoria, South Africa, Wednesday, April 16, 2014.   -  
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Werner Beukes/AP

South Africa

The mother of Reeva Steenkamp who was murdered by Oscar Pistorius a decade ago said on Friday (Nov. 24) that the South African paralympic champion has "not been rehabiliated".

Her comments came in advance of Pistorius' release from prison on Friday, following his plea at a correctional centre outside Pretoria .

While Steenkamp's mother is not opposing his parole, she told the parole board that Pistorius had not shown true remorse.

"I'm not convinced that Oscar has been rehabilitated. Rehabilitation requires someone to engage honestly with the full truth of his crime and the consequences thereof. Nobody can claim to have remorse if they're not able to engage fully with the truth. If someone does not show remorse, they cannot be considered to be rehabilitated".

Pistorius killed Steenkamp in 2013, firing four times through the bathroom door of his ultra-secure Pretoria house.

The former sprinter was found guilty of Steenkamp's murder and given a 13-year jail sentence in 2017.

He pleaded not guilty, saying that he mistook her for a burglar.

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