Reeva’s Mom: “I don’t wish suffering on anyone.”
In an address to a group of schoolchildren this morning Reeva Steenkamp’s mother said she harbours no feelings of revenge towards the man who killed her daughter on Valentine’s Day 2013. Speaking at Reeva’s old high school – St Dominics in Port Elizabeth – June Steenkamp made her first public comments since Oscar Pistorius was released […]
In an address to a group of schoolchildren this morning Reeva Steenkamp’s mother said she harbours no feelings of revenge towards the man who killed her daughter on Valentine’s Day 2013.
Speaking at Reeva’s old high school – St Dominics in Port Elizabeth – June Steenkamp made her first public comments since Oscar Pistorius was released from jail two nights ago into “correctional supervision” (home arrest) at his uncle’s home in Pretoria.
The former Olympian and Paralympian has so far served one year of his five-year sentence for culpable homicide.
June said that she “didn’t want him to be thrown in jail and be suffering, because I don’t wish suffering on anyone and that’s not going to bring Reeva back.”
She said “in my heart I don’t want revenge towards him, I’m past that. One has to forgive to move on, otherwise you become ill…”
June also said “I don’t want to hurt him. He’s already a disabled person.”
She admitted that “it’s been a hard journey and it’s going to go on until the day I die.”
June Steenkamp was at St Dominics this morning to launch the Reeva Steenkamp Foundation, a foundation for abused women – which was a cause close to Reeva’s heart.
Just days before she died, one of Reeva’s last tweets was in connection with the high profile rape and murder of 17-year-old Anene Booyson in South Africa. On 10 February 2013, Reeva posted a message on Instagram and Twitter saying: “I woke up in a happy safe home this morning. Not everyone did. Speak out against the rape of individuals in SA. RIP Anene Booysen. #rape #crime #sayNO”
On the day she was killed, Reeva was due to give a speech about the topic at a school. This morning her mom read excerpts from that speech.
Watch Video: Reeva Steenkamp’s mother – “I’ve got no feelings of revenge.”
https://youtu.be/GNn-lN9SSRc
One of the last public messages from Reeva Steenkamp
I woke up in a happy safe home this morning. Not everyone did. Speak out against the rape of individuals… http://t.co/c0XXuypb
— Reeva Steenkamp (@reevasteenkamp) February 10, 2013