Ex-Paralympian Oscar Pistorius has been released on parole from a South African prison, almost 11 years after he killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
In 2013, he shot her multiple times through a bathroom door, claiming he had mistaken her for a burglar.
Pistorius, who is now 37 years old, was ultimately found guilty of murder in 2015 after an appeal court overturned an earlier ruling of culpable homicide. He will be subject to strict conditions until his sentence ends in 2029.
According to South African law, all offenders have the right to be considered for parole once they have served half of their total sentence. Pistorius’ sentence was officially set in 2017 at 13 years and five months.
Reeva Steenkamp’s mother, June Steenkamp, said in a statement: “We have always known that parole is part of the South African legal system, and we have always said that the law must take its course.”
“Oscar Pistorius’s release on parole, subject to certain conditions, has affirmed Barry and my belief in the South African justice system,” she said, referring to her late husband.
“The conditions imposed by the parole board, which includes anger management courses and programs on gender-based violence, send out a clear message that gender based violence is taken seriously.”
“Has there been justice for Reeva?” she asked. “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.”
She added: “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.”
Pistorius has been in prison since October 2014, when he was initially found guilty.
He had his lower legs amputated before he turned one year old and relied on prosthetics. Despite this, he became a famous athlete known as the blade runner.
Pistorius achieved great success in track events, winning numerous gold medals at the Paralympics. He further solidified his reputation by competing against able-bodied athletes at the 2012 London Olympics. However, just six months after this achievement, he was involved in the murder of Ms. Steenkamp. The subsequent trials received widespread media attention.
According to South Africa’s correctional services agency, despite his huge public prominence, the former actor would be treated the same as any other parolee.
This implies he will be restricted to his house during certain hours of the day and will be prohibited from consuming alcohol. He is also forbidden from speaking to the media.
Ms Steenkamp, 29, was a law graduate and successful model who worked as a TV presenter and starred in the reality show Tropika Island of Treasure.
After graduation, she intended to open a law firm to assist mistreated women.
Ms Steenkamp had been dating Pistorius for three months when he fired four rounds through the door of a bathroom cubicle at his Pretoria home in the early hours of February 14, 2013.
She passed away nearly instantaneously.
The state accused Pistorius of murder, but he was convicted in 2014 of culpable homicide, also known as manslaughter.
The following year, justices on the Supreme Court of Appeal overturned his murder conviction, stating that his account of events was contradictory and unlikely and that he had “fired without having a rational or genuine fear that his life was in danger.”
