Barry Steenkamp’s macabre request that says so much about Oscar Pistorius
Little in life has come easy for Barry Steenkamp, father of the murdered Reeva. A trainer of thoroughbreds who struggled to make a living in the racing backwater of Port Elizabeth, Steenkamp was known in this tight knit community for his generosity and good humour. And, until she was killed by paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius, his beautiful daughter Reeva. So to hear the 73 year old demand that the public see what Reeva's body looked like after her killer's bullets ripped into her is out of character. But it also provides an insight into unsaid things that can't be raised in court. Before Reeva, Pistorius was best known within Steenkamp's community for his brief involvement in a few horses, primarily as part owner of Potala Palace who won the country's biggest race for two year olds on Durban July Handicap Day 2011. Few have much good to say about him. Either before Reeva's death or now. – Alec Hogg
By Thomas Hartleb