When the closed parole hearing for former Paralympian and murderer Oscar Pistorius goes ahead on Friday morning, Rob Matthews, father of murdered student Leigh Matthews, will be on hand to represent murdered supermodel Reeva Steenkamp’s mother June.
June, who is not opposing Pistorius’ latest bid for freedom, has opted not to attend the proceedings and instead wishes to be alone.
Her legal team will be present to read her victim statement into the record and Matthews will speak to the media on her behalf.
June and Barry Steenkamp met and got to know Rob and Sharon Matthews as the two families were united by tragedies that were “uncanny” in their similarities – attractive blonde daughters of the same age brutally shot multiple times by perpetrators. The families also share the same legal team, Eastern Cape lawyer Tania Koen, who specialises in representing victims.
“When Tania called me and asked me yesterday if I would mind representing June this morning I immediately agreed. It’s y an honour and privilege to be there for her at this time when she needs to be alone,” Matthews told TimesLIVE as he headed to Atteridgeville Prison, west of Pretoria, where the hearing is set to take place.
June has had a difficult year. In March she attended Pistorius’ first parole application hearing, which was aborted after it was ruled he had not yet served enough of his 15-year sentence to qualify for parole.
On August 19 she marked what would have been the 40th birthday of murdered daughter Reeva, and less than a month later her husband Barry passed away in his sleep on September 14, at age 80.
Also in September, the Constitutional Court ruled that Pistorius had served enough time to qualify for parole and could therefore go ahead with his application.
“We have been down this road too, and have a good understanding of what June is going through,” Matthews said after his own family marked the “hollow” remembrance of what would have been their own murdered daughter’s 40th birthday in July.
“It’s a tragedy and a trauma we share. I can’t talk about what will be happening inside the hearing, but I am able to be a voice for victims, and I am comfortable doing that.”
The hearing started at 9am on Friday, with Pistorius’ appeal led by his lawyer Corne Dormehl. Advocate Annade Theart-Hofmeyr of Koen’s office will attend the hearing to read June’s victim impact statement into the record.
The parole board is expected to deliver its decision today.
TimesLIVE
Representing Reeva for Leigh — Rob Matthews steps up as victim’s voice
Grieving dad stands in for traumatised June Steenkamp during Oscar Pistorius’ bid for freedom
Senior journalist
Image: Thapelo Morebudi/Sunday Times.
When the closed parole hearing for former Paralympian and murderer Oscar Pistorius goes ahead on Friday morning, Rob Matthews, father of murdered student Leigh Matthews, will be on hand to represent murdered supermodel Reeva Steenkamp’s mother June.
June, who is not opposing Pistorius’ latest bid for freedom, has opted not to attend the proceedings and instead wishes to be alone.
Her legal team will be present to read her victim statement into the record and Matthews will speak to the media on her behalf.
June and Barry Steenkamp met and got to know Rob and Sharon Matthews as the two families were united by tragedies that were “uncanny” in their similarities – attractive blonde daughters of the same age brutally shot multiple times by perpetrators. The families also share the same legal team, Eastern Cape lawyer Tania Koen, who specialises in representing victims.
“When Tania called me and asked me yesterday if I would mind representing June this morning I immediately agreed. It’s y an honour and privilege to be there for her at this time when she needs to be alone,” Matthews told TimesLIVE as he headed to Atteridgeville Prison, west of Pretoria, where the hearing is set to take place.
June has had a difficult year. In March she attended Pistorius’ first parole application hearing, which was aborted after it was ruled he had not yet served enough of his 15-year sentence to qualify for parole.
On August 19 she marked what would have been the 40th birthday of murdered daughter Reeva, and less than a month later her husband Barry passed away in his sleep on September 14, at age 80.
Also in September, the Constitutional Court ruled that Pistorius had served enough time to qualify for parole and could therefore go ahead with his application.
“We have been down this road too, and have a good understanding of what June is going through,” Matthews said after his own family marked the “hollow” remembrance of what would have been their own murdered daughter’s 40th birthday in July.
“It’s a tragedy and a trauma we share. I can’t talk about what will be happening inside the hearing, but I am able to be a voice for victims, and I am comfortable doing that.”
The hearing started at 9am on Friday, with Pistorius’ appeal led by his lawyer Corne Dormehl. Advocate Annade Theart-Hofmeyr of Koen’s office will attend the hearing to read June’s victim impact statement into the record.
The parole board is expected to deliver its decision today.
TimesLIVE
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