Barry Steenkamp sympathises with Olympian Oscar Pistorius
The father of model Reeva Steenkamp, who was shot dead at the home of Oscar Pistorius, said “there is no hatred in our hearts” over her death — as the star’s father revealed he may have “acted on instinct”.
Barry Steenkamp sympathised that the sporting hero must be going through a difficult time after his daughter Reeva was shot dead at the Blade Runner’s exclusive Pretoria home last week.
ADVERTISEMENT
Reeva Steenkamp at an awards ceremony in Johannesburg earlier this month. Pic/Getty Images
He told the Mail on Sunday the family was struggling to come to terms with the death, but revealed: “There is no hatred in our hearts.”
Mr Steenkamp added: “He must be going through things that we don’t know about.
“We ask the Lord every day to help us find a reason why this should happen to Reeva. She was the most beautiful, kind girl in the world.”
Meanwhile, the athlete’s best friend claimed the Olympic and Paralympic hero called him minutes after the shooting telling him “there has been a terrible accident”, according to the Sunday People.
Justin Divaris said: “It’s all very sad. Oscar called me at 3.55am saying that Reeva had been shot.”
He added: “It was very traumatic. By the time we got there it was already a crime scene and we weren’t allowed in the house.”
Pistorius’s father said he has “zero doubt” Miss Steenkamp’s death was a tragic accident and that his son may have acted “on instinct”.
Henke Pistorius said he believes the model was killed after being mistaken for an intruder.
His family is behind him “heart and soul” and will do “whatever needs to be done” to help him clear his name, Mr Pistorius told The Sunday Telegraph.
He said: “When you are a sportsman, you act even more on instinct. It’s instinct — things happen and that’s what you do.”
Steenkamp was shot dead at Pistorius’s home on Thursday — Valentine’s Day.
Pistorius was remanded to a Pretoria police station after a hearing on Friday at which prosecutors said they intended to pursue a case of premeditated murder against the athlete.
His arrest triggered shock across the globe and prompted rumours that he may have mistaken his girlfriend for an intruder in what could have been a Valentine’s Day surprise gone wrong.
But police swiftly distanced themselves from that suggestion and said there had been previous incidents of a “domestic nature” at Pistorius’ property.
Pistorius will appear in court tomorrow for a bail hearing, something police have said they oppose.
Bloodied cricket bat found in Pistorius’ home
Investigators have found a bloodied cricket bat in the home of Olympian Oscar Pistorius, it was reported yesterday. The cricket bat was at the centre of the murder investigation against the star athlete, reports Xinhua.
Police were now investigating two possibilities: that the cricket bat was used by Steenkamp to defend herself or that Pistorius used it to break down the bathroom door to get access to where Steenkamp was hiding. Police sources close to the investigation told the City Press newspaper that Steenkamp’s skull had been “crushed”. “There was lots of blood on the bat,” one source was quoted as saying.
The report quoted police sources as saying the first shot was fired in the bedroom and that the other three were fired at her through the bathroom door.
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
