But despite her stern exterior, June Steenkamp has spoken out about how she goes through hell every time she has to watch Pistorius's emotional reactions in court.
Pistorius has cried openly throughout the trial, as well as been sick and retching on several separate occasions.
And now June Steenkamp has revealed that she watched Pistorius's every move to try and determine if the athlete is guilty or not.
'It's very traumatic' said June, mother of the 29-year-old model.
'This is my child - and I must listen to the graphic detail.'
'I look at Oscar the whole time, to see how he is coping, how he is behaving. I'm obsessed with looking at him, it's just instinctive, I can't explain it.'
'I keep thinking, 'Let me see how he's taking this.' He has been very dramatic, the vomiting and crying.'
And June, 67, says she remained unmoved by Pistorius's apology to her family on Monday morning.
'I cried for the first time...but not because he apologised, because of the suffering and agony that my darling daughter went through and because I will never have her again.'
She also dismissed the advances from the Pistorius family to give her 'support,' simply saying: 'It won't bring my daughter back.'
Reeva's mother admitted that she keeps all of her emotion pent up for when she gets back to her hotel, then 'it all comes out and I break down. I start crying out, crying all the tears and pain I've held inside in court. I feel very vulnerable.'
'I'm being strong for Reeva, I have to be there. It's hard for me to do it, but I'm representing my child.'
'I'm being strong for Reeva, I have to be there. It's hard for me to do it, but I'm representing my child.'
June's husband Barry, 69, has been too ill to travel to the court from the family's home town of Port Elizabeth, but has now vowed that he will make it to the trial.
The case continues today.