In Summary
- Pistorius, who turned 37 this week, has been in jail since late 2014 for the Valentine’s Day 2013 killing of model Reeva Steenkam
- Friday’s parole hearing was Pistorius’ second in the space of eight months. He was wrongly ruled ineligible for early release at a first hearing in March.
Former Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorious will be freed from jail on parole, nearly 11 years after murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
The former Olympic champion was condemned for killing, in 2013, his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
At his murder trial, he claimed he shot the 29-year-old model, by mistake with his licensed pistol, because he believed she was an intruder hiding in the bathroom.
READ Also: Paralympic Champion Oscar Pistorius Might Be Set Free On Friday
(Themba Hadebe / Associated Press)
The Athlete’s Release Date
The board set his release date for 5 January 2024
His parole will come with conditions, including that he not leave the area of Pretoria where he is set to live without permission from authorities. Pistorius will also attend a program to deal with his anger issues, Nxumalo said, and will have to perform community service.
Pistorius’ parole conditions will be in place for five years, the Department of Corrections said.
Ms Steenkamp’s mother
Ms Steenkamp’s mother did not oppose his release but – in a letter sent to the parole board – said she wondered whether Pistorius’s “huge anger issues” were truly dealt with in prison, adding she would potentially be “concerned for the safety of any woman” who now comes into contact with him.
June Steenkamp chose not to attend the parole hearing on Friday at Atteridgeville prison, near Pretoria, saying: “I simply cannot muster the energy to face him again at this stage”.
Her husband and Reeva’s father, Barry, died earlier this year and she said the strain on them both had been immense.
