January 05, (THEWILL) – South Africa Olympic runner, Oscar Pistorius, has been released from prison on parole.
Pistorius, a famous double-amputee athlete was released early Friday, the South Africa’s Department of Correction confirmed in a statement.
The 37-year old served nearly nine years of his murder sentence of 13 years and five months for the fatal shooting of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentine’s Day in 2013.
Pistorius has maintained that he shot 29-year-old model and law graduate by mistake. He testified that he believed Steenkamp was a dangerous intruder hiding in his bathroom and shot four times through the door with his licenced 9 mm pistol in self-defence.
Prosecutors said he killed his girlfriend intentionally during a late-night argument.
He became eligible for early release from prison having served at least half his sentence and was approved for parole in November.
Spokesperson of the Department of Corrections, Singabakho Nxumalo, said Pistorius was processed according to procedure: taken from the Atteridgeville Correctional Centre prison in the South African capital, Pretoria, to a parole office before being released to his family.
The Department of Corrections said ahead of Pistorius’ release that it would not publicise his parole time and he was not going to be “paraded” so as to keep him away from the media that has trailed him since he shot Steenkamp multiple times through a toilet door at his Pretoria villa more than a decade ago.
Pistorius will live under strict parole conditions until the remainder of his murder sentence expires in December 2029.
Steenkamp’s mother, June Steenkamp, said in a statement that she had accepted Pistorius’ parole as part of South African law.
“Has there been justice for Reeva? Has Oscar served enough time? 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.
“With the release of Oscar Pistorius on parole, 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”, she said.
The Department of Corrections has emphasised that the champion Paralympic sprinter’s release, like every other offender on parole does not mean that he has served his time.
Some of Pistorius’ parole conditions include restrictions on when he is allowed to leave his home, a ban on consuming alcohol, and orders that he must attend programmes on anger management and on violence against women. He must also perform community service.
Pistorius will also have to regularly meet with parole officials and will be subjected to unannounced visits by authorities. He is not allowed to leave the Waterkloof district without permission and is banned from speaking to the media until the end of his sentence. He could be sent back to jail if he is in breach of any of his parole conditions.
South Africa does not use tags or bracelets on paroled offenders so Pistorius will not wear any monitoring device, Department of Corrections officials said. But he will be constantly monitored by a department official and will have to inform the official of any major changes in his life, such as if he wants to get a job or move to another house.
Before the killing, Pistorius was seen as an inspiring role model after having had both of his legs amputated below the knee as a baby because of a congenital condition. He became a champion sprinter on his carbon-fiber running blades and made history by competing at the 2012 London Olympics.
His murder trial destroyed his image. He was accused of being prone to angry outbursts and acting recklessly with guns, while witnesses testified about various altercations he had with others, including an argument in which he allegedly threatened to break a man’s legs.
Pistorius was first convicted of culpable homicide and sentenced to five years in prison for killing Steenkamp. After appeals by prosecutors, he was ultimately found guilty of murder and had his sentence increased.
Pistorius was first sent to prison in 2014, released on house arrest in 2015 during an appeal, and then sent back to prison in 2016. He was initially incarcerated at the maximum security Kgosi Mampuru II Prison in Pretoria but was moved to Atteridgeville early in his sentence because it’s better suited to holding disabled prisoners.
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