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Reeva Steenkamp funeral takes place in South Africa Reeva Steenkamp funeral: mourners call for Oscar Pistorius to be punished
(about 2 hours later)
The funeral of Reeva Steenkamp has been held in South Africa, with mourners calling for a harsh penalty for her boyfriend, Oscar Pistorius, who has been charged with her murder. Amid the grief, some mourners at the South African model Reeva Steenkamp's funeral on Tuesday demanded punishment for her boyfriend, Oscar Pistorius, who has been charged with her murder.
The model and law graduate's body was driven in a black hearse to a crematorium in the coastal city of Port Elizabeth for a private ceremony on Tuesday. A hearse took Steenkamp's body to the Victoria Park crematorium in Port Elizabeth for a private funeral attended by more than 100 relatives and friends.
Gavin Venter, a former jockey who worked for Steenkamp's father, said of Pistorius: "He's a danger to the public. He'll be a danger to witnesses. He must stay in jail. He's already shown how dangerous he can be for what he did to Reeva." Meanwhile Pistorius was at a bail hearing in Pretoria, where a prosecutor told the court the athlete fired four shots at Steenkamp through a bathroom door at his luxury home last week. Pistorius's lawyer said it was not murder.
Pistorius was at a bail hearing in a court in Pretoria, where prosecutors said he fired four shots at Steenkamp through a bathroom door at his luxury home last week. The athlete's lawyer argued it was not a murder case. In Port Elizabeth, Gavin Venter, a former jockey who worked for Steenkamp's father, said of Pistorius: "Without a doubt he's a danger to the public. He'll be a danger to witnesses. He must stay in jail. He's already shown how dangerous he can be for what he did to Reeva."
He said of Steenkamp: "She was an angel, she was so soft, so innocent. Such a lovely person. It's just sad that this could happen to somebody so good."
Friends of Steenkamp walked up a path to the crematorium, some holding hands or carrying flowers. After the hour-long ceremony, relatives stood outside and friends paid their condolences, hugging Steenkamp's parents.
"It was a total shock. It is only sinking in right now," said Bongiwe Gaxamba, 29, a former classmate, wearing the blue blazer with yellow stripes from their high school.
The killing of Steenkamp, 30, has highlighted South Africa's dismal record of violence against women: on average, a woman is raped every four minutes and one is killed every eight hours by her partner or relative.
The country is still reeling from the murder this month of 17-year-old Anene Booysen, who was gang-raped, mutilated and left for dead on a building site.
At a protest outside the Pretoria court, Troy Martens, of the ruling ANC party's women's league, said: "This is not acceptable and our women need to be protected."
Days before Steenkamp was killed, the model sent tweets offering her support for Booysen and the victims of sexual violence in the country.
Steenkamp's uncle, Mike Steenkamp, told reporters after the funeral that his niece wanted to be an activist for ending abuse against women. "Unfortunately it has swung right around, but I think that the Lord knows that her statement is more powerful now," he said.
Steenkamp's brother Adam said: "There's a space missing inside all the people that she knew that can't be filled again. We are going to keep all the positive things that we remember and know about my sister. We will miss her."