Oscar Pistorius granted parole after being jailed for murder of Reeva Steenkamp
The former Paralympic star was denied parole in March after it was ruled he had not completed the minimum detention period
24 November 2023 - 10:45
UPDATED 24 November 2023 - 13:35
byBhargav Acharya
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Oscar Pistorius, right, arrives ahead of his trial for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on April 16 2014. Picture: REUTERS/SIPHIWE SIBEKO
Convicted murderer and former Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius, jailed in 2014 for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, has been granted parole effectively from January 5, the department of correctional services said on Friday.
Known as the “Blade Runner” for his carbon-fibre prosthetic legs, Pistorius went from a public hero as a Paralympic champion to a convicted killer in hearings that caught the world’s attention a decade ago.
Pistorius shot and killed Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day in 2013.
He was initially jailed for five years in 2014 for culpable homicide by the High Court but in late 2015, the Supreme Court of Appeal found him guilty of murder after an appeal by prosecutors.
He was sent back to jail for six years in 2016 after a High Court sentence, which was less than half the 15-year minimum term sought by prosecutors.
In 2017, the Supreme Court more than doubled his murder sentence to 13 years and five months, saying the six-year jail term was “shockingly lenient”.
Earlier on Friday, a spokesperson for the department of correctional services said a parole board would consider Pistorius’s case at a hearing.
“The CSPB [Correctional Supervision and Parole Board] shall ... decide whether the inmate is suitable or not for social reintegration,” said correctional services spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo.
Pistorius’ lawyer Conrad Dormehl had said the hearing would take place in the Atteridgeville Correctional Centre in Pretoria but declined to comment on their expectations from the hearing.
Several factors are typically taken into account by a parole board before inmates are released on parole. These include the nature of the crimes, the possibility of reoffending, conduct in prison, physical and mental wellbeing and potential threats they may face if released.
Pistorius was denied parole in March after it was ruled that he had not completed the minimum detention period required to be considered for parole.
However, the Constitutional Court said in October that Pistorius had served half of his sentence by March 21 2023, which meant he was eligible for parole, after his sentence was backdated to July 2016 instead of November 2017.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Oscar Pistorius granted parole after being jailed for murder of Reeva Steenkamp
The former Paralympic star was denied parole in March after it was ruled he had not completed the minimum detention period
Convicted murderer and former Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius, jailed in 2014 for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, has been granted parole effectively from January 5, the department of correctional services said on Friday.
Known as the “Blade Runner” for his carbon-fibre prosthetic legs, Pistorius went from a public hero as a Paralympic champion to a convicted killer in hearings that caught the world’s attention a decade ago.
Pistorius shot and killed Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day in 2013.
He was initially jailed for five years in 2014 for culpable homicide by the High Court but in late 2015, the Supreme Court of Appeal found him guilty of murder after an appeal by prosecutors.
He was sent back to jail for six years in 2016 after a High Court sentence, which was less than half the 15-year minimum term sought by prosecutors.
In 2017, the Supreme Court more than doubled his murder sentence to 13 years and five months, saying the six-year jail term was “shockingly lenient”.
Earlier on Friday, a spokesperson for the department of correctional services said a parole board would consider Pistorius’s case at a hearing.
“The CSPB [Correctional Supervision and Parole Board] shall ... decide whether the inmate is suitable or not for social reintegration,” said correctional services spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo.
Pistorius’ lawyer Conrad Dormehl had said the hearing would take place in the Atteridgeville Correctional Centre in Pretoria but declined to comment on their expectations from the hearing.
Several factors are typically taken into account by a parole board before inmates are released on parole. These include the nature of the crimes, the possibility of reoffending, conduct in prison, physical and mental wellbeing and potential threats they may face if released.
Pistorius was denied parole in March after it was ruled that he had not completed the minimum detention period required to be considered for parole.
However, the Constitutional Court said in October that Pistorius had served half of his sentence by March 21 2023, which meant he was eligible for parole, after his sentence was backdated to July 2016 instead of November 2017.
Reuters
Oscar Pistorius seeks parole a decade after killing Reeva Steenkamp
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