10 years for a life

Reeva Steenkamp's killer goes free after serving just over half his sentence for her murder

- By Sara Tapia

As WHO went to print for this issue, the world was waiting for the imminent release of Oscar Pistorius from a South African prison on January 5 - nearly 11 years after he murdered his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. The once-lauded Paralympian had spent over half his sentence of 13 years and five months behind bars for shooting the 29-year-old to death on Valentine's Day in 2013, before he was granted parole back in November.

His release is something that Reeva's family watch happen unwillingly, having previously expressed their belief that Pistorius has not been rehabilitated because he had not shown true remorse. "Rehabilitation requires someone to engage honestly with the full truth of his crime and the consequences thereof," her mother, June, said in her submission to the parole board late last year. Her statement was read outside the Pretoria detention centre, where Pistorius spent most of his sentence, by a family representative. "Nobody can claim to have remorse if they're not able to engage fully with the truth."