![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/2016-disgraced-paralympic-athlete-oscar-795652762.jpg\")
\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/reeva-steenkamp-johannesburg-south-africa-282274771.jpg\")
\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/june-steenkamp-mother-reeva-steenkamp-806815139.jpg\")
<\/p>\nOSCAR Pistorius' chances of jail release have been boosted after the mother of his victim Reeva Steenkamp decided not to oppose his parole bid.<\/p>\n
June Steenkamp, despite being adamant that Pistorius should remain behind bars, said she will not go against his emergency release plea on Friday.<\/p>\n
\n
\n<\/p>\n
Both Mrs Steenkamp and her husband Barry Steenkamp – who passed away in September – strongly opposed his earlier appeals for prison release.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year Mr Steenkamp told\u00a0MailOnline\u00a0that Pistorius "should remain behind bars".<\/p>\n
June Steenkamp added: "I couldn't see myself going without hurting him. I didn't want to go to jail for attacking him. That would have been a great possibility.<\/p>\n
"Things haven't got better. It gets worse as time goes by because we miss Reeva every day that she is not here with us.<\/p>\n
"It's very, very stressful that she couldn't spend our last days with us because he took her.<\/p>\n "Oscar has taken a lot away from us and her. So now instead of getting upset, I get angry. I am angry with him. It is a horrible thing to say, but I can't stand him."<\/p>\n While no reason was given for the about-turn decision, it is believed that the death of Barry has played a key role in changing the mind of the victim's family. <\/p>\n However, she is still expected to deliver a "powerful" statement on Friday during Pistorius' emergency parole bid hearing on November 24.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Pistorius, who turned 37 today,\u00a0shot dead model Reeva, 29, through the locked door of the bathroom of his home in Pretoria in the early hours of Valentine\u2019s Day 2013.<\/p>\n The ex-sprinter, \u00a0who was known worldwide as the "Blade Runner" because of his carbon-fibre prosthetics, claimed he mistook her for an intruder.<\/p>\n Following a lengthy trial and several appeals, he was found guilty of murder and\u00a0sentenced to 13 years\u00a0and five months behind bars in 2017.<\/p>\n He was\u00a0initially sentenced to six years\u00a0in jail but\u00a0the term was doubled\u00a0after the state appealed it was too lenient.<\/p>\n In 2017, The Supreme Court of Appeal ruled that Pistorius should serve\u00a0South Africa's minimum sentence of 15 years for murder.<\/p>\n It took into account the year and seven months he had already served when it delivered the previous sentence of 13 years.<\/p>\n Since prisoners in South Africa are automatically eligible for parole consideration after serving half of their sentence, Pistorius' lawyers appealed for an early release in March 2023.<\/p>\n But his application was rejected during a closed-door hearing as he "did not complete the minimum detention period", it was reported.<\/p>\n The court, however, made an error by not counting another period Pistorius had served while his murder sentence was being appealed.<\/p>\n It meant that he was, in fact, eligible for parole earlier this year when he was told at his first hearing that he would only be eligible in August 2024.<\/p>\n Pistorius' lawyers took his case to the country's apex Constitutional Court – and now the Paralympian has been given another shot at his freedom.<\/p>\n The Department of Corrections stated a parole board on November 24 will decide whether the inmate is "suitable or not for social integration".<\/p>\n However, even if the ex-athlete wins his freedom, he will be kept under close police protection due to fears of revenge attacks from Johannesburg's underworld, the MailOnline reported. <\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/newspress-collage-24801912-1700561187556.jpg\")
<\/picture>FREEDOM BID <\/span><\/p>\nOscar Pistorius could be given release date in DAYS after parole bid blunder<\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/newspress-collage-21902047-1680281208825.jpg\")
<\/picture>'I LOVE YOU' <\/span><\/p>\nInside Reeva Steenkamp's Valentine's Day card to Oscar Pistorius before murder<\/h3>\n
Most read in Sport<\/h2>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/JB-COMP-ABBEY-1.jpg\")
<\/picture>HOME GAMES <\/span><\/p>\nAbbey Clancy’s sexy secret to seduce Peter Crouch \u2014 who says it worked very well<\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/jw-SPORT-PREVIEW-TWINUP-newcastle-saudi.jpg\")
<\/picture>VICTORY TOON <\/span><\/p>\nNewcastle free to sign Saudi stars as rivals fail to block controversial rule<\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/MR-MANAGERS-RICH-LIST-COMP.jpg\")
<\/picture>ASSET MANAGER <\/span><\/p>\nFootball managers rich list… and Pep Guardiola is not the wealthiest coach<\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/2010-london-england-bbc-worldwide-852588559.jpg\")
<\/picture>TURN OFF <\/span><\/p>\nBBC may lose major sporting event with ‘incredibly difficult’ decision to be made<\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/barry-steenkamp-father-reeva-steenkamp-244440137.jpg\")
![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/2016-trail-murder-girlfriend-reeva-846456095.jpg\")
![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/9de0a2a5-c692-4176-8443-1482c0c40c7d.jpg\")