Prisoner Oscar Pistorius sent an “emotionally painful” letter to the parents of murdered girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in a move that their lawyer described as “tearing a bandage from a wound”.

The 34-year-old olympian is eligible for parole since July, after being convicted of murder for shooting his girlfriend several times through a toilet door at his home in Pretoria, South Africa, on Valentine’s Day 2013.

The gold medalist sent a letter to Reeva Steenkamp’s parents, June and Barry, as part of the conditional release process in South Africa, according to which prisoners should be held accountable for their actions.

Their lawyer, Tanya Cohen, who did not want to reveal the content of the letter, said the victim’s parents were upset when they learned Pistorius was eligible for parole in July and expected to be out of jail until March 2023.

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A release hearing was scheduled for last month, but was canceled, in part because a meeting between Pistorius and Steenkamp’s parents had not been arranged. The date for a new hearing has not yet been set.

Pistorius, who has served half of his 13-year sentence since being convicted of murder in 2015, must also meet with Reeva’s parents before considering his release.