The former Paralympic athlete served almost nine years for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. Pistorius claimed he shot her thinking it was an intruder, something the model's family find hard to believe.
South African athlete Oscar Pistorius was released on parole on Friday, nearly 11 years after murdering his then-girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in an incident the former Paralympic star claimed was an act of self-defense.
"The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) 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 DCS said in a statement.
The athlete killed Steenkamp, a 29-year-old law graduate and model, by firing four shots through the bathroom door at his Pretoria home in the early hours of Valentine's Day in 2013.
Pistorius, now 37, has repeatedly said he believed that he was shooting at an intruder while his girlfriend was lying asleep in his bed. Prosecutors argued he killed her intentionally during a late-night argument.
The sprint star, who has been a double-amputee since infancy and dubbed "Blade Runner" for his carbon-fiber prosthetic legs, was sentenced to 13 years and five months in prison following a trial that gripped not only South Africa, but also the watching world.
Changing sentences
In October 2014, Pistorius was initially sentenced to a maximum of five years for culpable homicide for killing Steenkamp.
He was released on house arrest in October 2015 after serving one sixth of his sentence. However, the state appealed, and in December 2015, the Supreme Court of Appeal overturned the conviction for culpable homicide, finding him guilty of murder instead and sentencing him to six years. The sentence was later increased to 13 years after prosecutors argued the punishment was too lenient.
In November 2023, a panel granted him release on parole after recognizing he had completed the minimum detention requirement under South African law.
Source: Dw
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