South Africans Express Outrage Over Oscar Pistorius Film

3 October 2017

Cape Town — A U.S. company has released a trailer for an upcoming film about how Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. The movie, Oscar Pistorius: Blade Runner Killer shows scenes of court proceedings as well as what may have happened on the night Reeva was shot and killed by the athlete.

In a brief statement through their lawyer, Tania Koen, the Steenkamp family said that they did not endorse the movie.

The statement read

"June and Barry Steenkamp, who are still mourning the tragic loss of their beloved daughter Reeva Steenkamp had no knowledge of the making of the film 'Blade Runner Killer'. They are horrified and upset to read a report that 'the movie is told from Steenkamp and her mother's perspective'. June Steenkamp was not approached by Lifetime to participate, comment or be part of the making of the film, and did not give the producers any assistance. Any impression that is created that this is June's view, or that the movie is endorsed by the Steenkamp family, is untrue and incorrect.

The damaging and misleading claim which is made in a report by the leading trade newspaper Dateline Hollywood has not been denied by 'Lifetime', which is part of the giant American entertainment company, A+E Networks.

Mr and Mrs Steenkamp politely request that Ms Nancy Dubuc, President and Chief Executive Officer of A+E Networks, issue a public denial of the claim in Dateline Hollywood and distance her respectable network from such a disreputable statement".

Oscar Pistorius is currently serving a six-year jail term. The movie is scheduled to be released this November.

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