Reeva’s 'exhausted' mother says justice has been done
Reeva Steenkamp's mother has said she feels justice has been served after Oscar Pistorius was sentenced to five years in jail for killing her daughter.
June Steenkamp told reporters as she left the court in Pretoria that she was glad the ordeal was over, even if defence claims that Pistorius may only serve 10 months in jail were correct.
“It doesn’t matter. He’s going to pay something,” she said.
She added that she was “exhausted. I’m just glad it’s over.”
Reeva’s father Barry said: “We are satisfied. We are just pleased the whole thing is over.”
Asked whether he thought five years was a long enough sentence, he said: “Yes.”
Legal expert Martin Hood said the judge had taken a lot of care in explaining her decision, so that it would be clear she had considered all relevant factors in deciding the sentence.
“She referred on a number of times to the public, if they’re not satisfied, taking the matter into their own hands,” he said, “so she is clearly trying to send a message to say: “I have balanced all the considerations.”
She said: “I am of the view that a non-custodial sentence would send a wrong message to the community, (but) a long sentence would also ot be appropriate either as it would lack the element of mercy.”
