Oscar Pistorius, the Paralympic champion, has been released from prison, announced South Africa’s Ministry of Justice on Friday.
Initially incarcerated for the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, in 2013, Pistorius served about nine years of his 13-year and five-month sentence.
(AFP via Getty Images)
Following a successful parole bid in November, he has transitioned into the Community Corrections system and is now at home, as confirmed by South Africa’s Department of Correctional Services in a brief update on Friday, though without additional details.
PAROLE PLACEMENT FOR OSCAR PISTORIUS pic.twitter.com/p0YytgoNfe
— Ministry of Justice and Correctional Services 🇿🇦 (@Min_JCS) January 5, 2024
Pistorius, aged 37, earned the moniker “Blade Runner” for his remarkable speed on carbon-fiber prosthetic legs, having lost both limbs as a child.
Despite becoming a double amputee, he secured six Paralympic gold medals, made history as the first amputee runner at the 2012 London Olympics, and gained recognition as a sporting champion.
His girlfriend, Steenkamp, was a model and paralegal.
The tragic incident occurred when Pistorius, after several months of dating, fatally shot her behind a locked bathroom door in his Pretoria apartment.
He argued in court that he mistook the 29-year-old for a burglar. In response to the recent parole decision, June Steenkamp, Reeva’s mother, expressed faith in South Africa’s justice system.
She acknowledged the imposed conditions, such as anger management courses and gender-based violence programs, as a strong stance against gender-based violence.
However, she highlighted the enduring pain almost 11 years later.
Questions persist about whether Oscar has served sufficient time.
Initially convicted of culpable homicide in 2014, the equivalent of manslaughter, he maintained he believed he was firing at an intruder.
In 2015, the conviction was upgraded to murder by South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal, asserting a misapplication of the law.
General parole conditions, including restrictions on leaving home, refraining from media interviews and alcohol consumption, will apply to Pistorius.
Any violation could result in his return to jail.
Could Oscar Pistorius make Paralympic return after prison release?
Despite being released from prison, Pistorius will be closely monitored under parole conditions until his sentence concludes in December 2029.
Restrictions include abstaining from alcohol and prohibited substances, refraining from media interviews, adhering to specific home hours, and participating in gender-based violence programs and anger management therapy, as outlined by the Steenkamp family’s lawyer.
The detailed parole conditions remain undisclosed, but any potential return to sprinting, especially involving international travel, would require court approval.
According to Singabakho Nxumalo, a spokesperson for the Department of Corrections, Pistorius cannot leave Pretoria without authorities’ permission for the next five years, emphasizing that parole is an integral part of the sentence, not its termination.
What happened on the day Oscar Pistorius killed Reeva Steenkamp?
On February 14, 2013, Oscar Pistorius fired four shots from his 9mm pistol into a locked toilet cubicle in his home, where Reeva Steenkamp was present.
The crucial question remains unanswered: Was the Olympic runner aware that he was shooting and fatally injuring his girlfriend?
Only Pistorius possesses the true knowledge of his actions, and he may forever be the sole individual with that insight.
During his televised murder trial in 2014, Pistorius asserted that he had mistaken sounds behind the bathroom door for an intruder and had not shot at his girlfriend in a fit of anger, contrary to the prosecution’s claims.
