Oscar Pistorius, a paralympian, was released from prison on parole in South Africa, almost 11 years after killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
After serving half of his more than 13-year sentence, Pistorius was officially verified as “at home” on Friday morning by officials.
The mother of Ms. Steenkamp stated that although she understood the decision to free the former athlete, her family was the ones “serving a life sentence”.
The 37-year-old Pistorius repeatedly shot Ms. Steenkamp through a door in 2013.
Subsequently, the double amputee stated he thought she was a burglar.
In 2015, Pistorius was found guilty of murder after an appeals court reversed a previous finding of culpable homicide.
All criminals in South Africa are entitled to parole consideration after serving half of their entire sentence; Pistorius’s sentence was ultimately determined at 13 years and 5 months in 2017.
He will be subject to severe living restrictions until the end of his term in 2029, which will include not speaking to the media.
It is thought that he moved to reside in an upscale Pretoria suburb at his uncle Arnold Pistorius’ house.
In a statement, June Steenkamp claimed that the family “always said that the law must take its course” and that they “always known that parole is part of the South African legal system”.
In addition to praising the parole board’s requirements, which include programs on gender-based violence and anger management classes, Mrs. Steenkamp stated that the choices had “affirmed Barry and my belief in the South African justice system,” a reference to her late husband.
However, she questioned: “Has Reeva received justice? Has Oscar completed his sentence? If your loved one is never going to return, then justice is impossible, and serving your time won’t make Reeva come back. It is us who are left behind who are facing a life sentence.”
She went on to say: “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.”
Not long after his original conviction, in October 2014, Pistorius was sent to prison for the first time. He was placed under house arrest between 2015 and 2016, after which his conviction was overturned and his sentence was extended.
When Pistorius was little than a year old, his lower legs were amputated. Later, he became dependent on prosthetics and rose to prominence as an athlete who was dubbed the “blade runner” throughout the world.
His career on the track was fruitful; he won several gold medals in the Paralympics before going on to compete against athletes without disabilities at the 2012 London Olympics, which solidified his name. The murder of Ms. Steenkamp, which occurred barely six months later, and the trials that followed made international news.
According to South Africa’s Department of Correctional Services, the former celebrity will get the same treatment on parole as everyone else, even with his large public profile.
This entails that he will be prohibited from consuming alcohol and confined to his house during specific times of the day. Additionally, he is not allowed to address the media.
Ms. Steenkamp, a prominent model and law graduate, was 29 years old when she passed away. She was also a TV presenter and had an appearance on the reality show Tropika Island of Treasure.
After graduating, she intended to launch a legal practice to support women who have been mistreated.
Pistorius was found guilty in 2014 of the lesser crime of culpable homicide, sometimes known as manslaughter, notwithstanding the state’s charges of murder.
The next year, justices at the Supreme Court of Appeal overturned his conviction, finding that he had “fired without having a rational or genuine fear that his life was in danger” and that his version of events was inconsistent and implausible.
Oscar Pistorius’s trials:
- August 2012: Participates in the London Paralympics and Olympics, winning a gold medal.
- February 2013: Takes his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp’s life by gunshot
2014 March: Trial starts - September 2014: Pistorius is found guilty of culpable homicide by the judge
- October 2014: A five-year sentence is imposed.
- Oct. 2015: Placed under house arrest
- December 2015: An appeals court modifies the murder verdict
- July 2016: Reentering jail following a six-year murder sentence
- November 2017: 13 years and five months is the sentence increased by the appeal court.
- June 2022: Attends a restorative justice program meeting with Ms. Steenkamp’s father, Barry.
- November 2023: Pistorius’s release is approved by the parole board
- January 2024: Released from jail subject to parole requirements