31 March 2023 , 20:13
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Reeva Steenkamp's heartbroken mother vowed to continue to fight for justice for her daughter after Oscar Pistorius today failed in his attempt to be released from prison early.
The South African athlete will remain behind bars by killing the model after the parole board snubbed his freedom plea earlier on Friday.
Her parents today said that while they welcomed the decision to keep the Olympian killer locked up, the news that he is likely to spent at least another year in jail is not to be celebrated.
Ms Steenkamp's 79-year-old mother June says she never stop fighting to make sure Pistorius pays for taking her life in his apartment ten years ago.
The South African Olympian will remain locked up until 2024 at least (AFP/Getty Images)
The model was killed by her boyfriend ten years ago (Getty Images)She and partner Barry say they do not believe her is sorry and they miss their daughter every day.
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June, who attended the hearing, told MailOnline: "While we welcome today's decision, today is not a cause for celebration.
"Barry and I miss Reeva terribly and will do so for the rest of our lives.
"We believe in justice and hope that it continues to prevail."
Reeva Steenkamp's father Barry and mother June at the trial (AFP/Getty Images)He has so far served half of his 13-year sentence for murdering his then-partner on Valentines Day in 2013 and was hoping to be freed from prison today.
But Pistorius, now aged 36, lost his appeal and correctional services confirmed his parole has been denied.
Before the hearing, Reeva's mum said Pistorius was "not remorseful or rehabilitated" and urged decision makers to keep him behind bars.
Heartbroken June says the fight for justice goes on (Themba Hadebe/AP/REX/Shutterstock)They believe he is lying about their daughter’s killing and opposed the former Olympic runner’s application for parole.
Pistorius shot Reeva, his girlfriend of two months, four times, through a locked bathroom door with the 9mm pistol he kept under his bed.
The prosecution said she had gone there to escape him following the argument while Pistorius insisted he didn't hear her get out of bed and mistook her for a burglar.
Oscar Pistorius' appeal has been knocked back (AP)It was later revealed that the once well-loved olympic star had been a gun fanatic who once fired a gun in a restaurant and had 10 weapons, including an AK-47.
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The board considered his conduct and disciplinary record in prison, his participation in educational or other training courses during the last decade of incarceration, and his mental and physical state to assess whether Pistorius, now 36, would still pose a threat to public safety.
Steenkamp's mother read a statement at the parole board, in a room separate from the killer, to voice her and her husbands opposition to Pistorius being granted early parole.
June Steenkamp says she won't be celebrating today's news (AFP/Getty Images)“Unless he comes clean, they don’t feel that he is rehabilitated,” Reeva's lawyer Tania Koen told reporters outside the Atteridgeville Correctional Centre prison in Pretoria, ahead of the hearing, where Pistorius has been incarcerated since 2016.
She continued: “He’s the killer of their daughter. For them, it’s a life sentence."
Pistorius was last up for parole in 2021, but that request was denied on technical grounds as he had not met with Steenkamp's family as required under South Africa's parole rules."