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The Department of Correctional Services says it has started engagements with the family of slain model Reeva Steenkamp for the purposes of a "victim-offender" dialogue ahead of any parole consideration for her killer, Oscar Pistorius.
Department spokesperson, Singabhako Nxumalo, was commenting on Monday following reports that the jailed Paralympian could be eligible for parole having served half of his revised sentence at Atteridgeville Correctional Centre, near Pretoria.
Nxumalo said given that this process must still take place, it is therefore not true that Pistorius is being considered for parole.
"The victim, offender dialogue programme has to take place before his profile can be submitted to the parole board for a determination to be made."
Meanwhile, it's been confirmed that Reeva's parents, June and Barry Steenkamp, were contacted by the Department of Correctional Services.
A meeting was scheduled but was subsequently cancelled by the Department, according to Steenkamp's legal representative Tania Koen.
She said she assumed the reason for the meeting was going to be to discuss the prospects of entering into a victim-offender dialogue.
Koen said both June and Barry Steenkamp confirmed that they wanted to participate in the dialogue, but added that they "were taken by surprise when it transpired that the parole board had apparently arranged to convene, on either the 27th or 29th of October, to consider Oscar Pistorius for placement on parole."
"However, the Department did not comply with statutory requirements, and their internal reports, which are needed for consideration by the Board, are also not ready yet," said Koen.
