Pistorius' Coach, Steenkamp Family React to Bail Decision

A spokesperson for Reeva Steenkamp's family says "whatever happens is not going to bring Reeva back" after learning Oscar Pistorius had been released on bail.

Published

3 months ago

Categories

World, Sports

Topics

Africa, Legal, Olympic Sports

People

Oscar Pistorius, Reeva Steenkamp

Places

South Africa, Pretoria

Transcript

It's freedom -- of a sorts. Oscar Pistorius left a Pretoria jail Friday after a South African court granted him bail. His lawyers had argued he was too famous to flee the charge of premeditated murder. Pistorius was whisked away to his uncle's home in an upscale Pretoria suburb. The court banned him from entering his own home, where the shooting took place, or from contacting neighbors and other possible witnesses in the case. After the bail hearing, Nicolas van Eden spoke for the Steenkamp family. "Not sure what to feel in their case. They just want to know the truth. Whatever happens is not going to bring Reeva back, they just want justice and the truth." Dannie Cornelius, the manager of the track where Pistorius trained, said the gold medalist is unlikely to resume training soon. "Mentally I think it is rather better for him to focus on the task at hand, and that is the trial. Get that over and done with and then, regarding the outcome of that, his life is still ahead of him." The trial of the so-called "Blade Runner" is expected to start in June.