South Africa: Oscar Pistorius released on parole after barely 11 years in prison for murder of Reeva Steenkamp
South African former Paralympic icon Oscar Pistorius, known as the “Blade Runner,” was granted parole on Friday, almost 11 years after fatally shooting his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.
The crime, which occurred on Valentine’s Day in 2013, shocked the world accustomed to violence against women.
Pistorius, 37, who claimed he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder, had appealed his conviction multiple times.
Reuters reports that the Department of Correctional Services confirmed his parole, stating he entered Community Corrections on January 5, 2024.
“The Department of Correctional Services (is) able to confirm that Oscar Pistorius is a parolee, effective from 5 January 2024. He was admitted into the system of Community Corrections and is now at home,” South Africa’s prisons department confirmed in a statement.
Having served approximately eight and a half years in prison and seven months under house arrest, Pistorius was released following a parole board decision in November.
Conditions of the parole include monitoring until December 2029, mandatory therapy on anger management, and participation in gender-based violence sessions.
Reeva’s mother, June Steenkamp, expressed that no amount of time served could bring her daughter back, emphasising the enduring pain for those left behind. Local media speculate Pistorius will reside with his uncle in Pretoria.
However, mixed reactions in South Africa reflect divided opinions on whether Pistorius has paid his dues.
Once a sports trailblazer, he competed at the London Olympics in 2012 and won Paralympic gold medals.
Legal twists saw him initially sentenced to five years, later increased to 13 years and five months.
Pistorius engaged in a “victim-offender dialogue” with Reeva’s father in 2022, aligning with South Africa’s restorative justice principles.
Initially denied parole in March, a Constitutional Court ruling deemed him eligible, considering his backdated sentence.
