Former Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius has been released from prison after serving half of his 13-year and five-month sentence for the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, in 2013.
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Oscar Pistorius Released From Jail
Pistorius, who shot Steenkamp four times through a locked bathroom door at his home in Pretoria, claiming he mistook her for an intruder, was granted parole on Friday, according to the Department of Correctional Services.
The Department confirmed:
“The Department of Correctional Services (is) able to confirm that Oscar Pistorius is a parolee, effectively from 5 January 2024. He was admitted into the system of Community Corrections and is now at home.”
The 37-year-old will now live under house arrest at his uncle Arnold’s lavish mansion in the Waterkloof suburb of Pretoria, where he stayed briefly in 2015 after his initial conviction of culpable homicide was overturned by the Supreme Court of Appeal. News24 reported that the street where Oscar Pistorius will stay has been guarded by private security since Thursday afternoon.
Pistorius, who became the first double amputee to compete in the Olympics in 2012, has maintained his innocence throughout his trial and appeals, insisting that he loved Steenkamp and never intended to kill her.
However, prosecutors argued that he shot her deliberately after a heated argument, and presented evidence of his history of anger, jealousy, and gun violence.
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Life After Prison
A monitoring official will keep Pistorius in check until his sentence lapses in 2029. The double amputer will also attend anger management issues and classes on gender-based violence.
Reeva’s mother June spoke in a statement shared by the Steenkamp family lawyer this morning:
“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.