'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius released on parole in South Africa 11 years after killing girlfriend
By Sunita Iyer | First Published Jan 5, 2024, 12:26 PM ISTEx-Paralympian Oscar Pistorius has been freed on parole from a South African jail, nearly 11 years after murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
Former Paralympian Oscar Pistorius, also known as 'Blade Runner', was on Friday released on parole from a South African prison, nearly 11 years after the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
Pistorius, 37, shot Steenkamp multiple times through a bathroom door in 2013, claiming he had mistaken her for a burglar. In 2015, he was convicted of murder after an appeal court overturned the initial verdict of culpable homicide.
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Pistorius will be subject to strict conditions until his sentence concludes in 2029. South African law allows all offenders to be considered for parole after serving half of their total sentence, with Pistorius reaching this point in 2017, set at 13 years and five months.
Reeva Steenkamp's mother, June Steenkamp, said in a statement, "We have always known that parole is part of the South African legal system, and we have always said that the law must take its course."
"Oscar Pistorius's release on parole, subject to certain conditions, has affirmed Barry and my belief in the South African justice system," she said, referring to her late husband.
"The conditions imposed by the parole board, which includes anger management courses and programs on gender-based violence, send out a clear message that gender based violence is taken seriously."
"Has there been justice for Reeva?" she asked. "Has Oscar served enough time? There can never be justice if your loved one is never coming back, and no amount of time served will bring Reeva back. We, who remain behind, are the ones serving a life sentence."
She added, "My only desire is that I will be allowed to live my last years in peace with my focus remaining on the Reeva Rebecca Steenkamp Foundation, to continue Reeva's legacy."
Oscar Pistorius, initially convicted in October 2014, has been incarcerated since then. Having undergone lower leg amputation before the age of one, Pistorius, widely known as the "blade runner," achieved international fame as a successful athlete relying on prosthetics. His track career included multiple gold medals at the Paralympics and significant recognition for competing against non-disabled athletes at the 2012 London Olympics. However, just six months later, the murder of Reeva Steenkamp and the subsequent legal proceedings captivated global headlines.
The South African Department of Correctional Services has stated that despite his previous high public profile, Oscar Pistorius, the former star, will receive the same treatment as any other individual on parole. Consequently, he will be subject to home confinement during specific hours of the day, face restrictions on alcohol consumption, and be prohibited from engaging with the media.
Reeva Steenkamp, aged 29 at the time of her death, was a law graduate, accomplished model, TV presenter, and participant in the reality show "Tropika Island of Treasure." With plans to establish a law firm aiding abused women post-graduation, she was three months into her relationship with Oscar Pistorius when the tragic incident occurred. On 14 February 2013, Pistorius fired four shots through the door of a toilet cubicle at his Pretoria residence, resulting in her almost instantaneous death.
Initially charged with murder, Pistorius was convicted in 2014 of the lesser offence of culpable homicide, or manslaughter. In 2015, the Supreme Court of Appeal overturned the conviction to murder, citing inconsistencies and implausibility in Pistorius's account, stating he "fired without having a rational or genuine fear that his life was in danger."
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