Oscar Pistorius released from prison on parole, authorities say،
PRETORIA, South Africa — South African athlete Oscar Pistorius has been conditionally released from prison and is now at home, South Africa's Department of Corrections announced Friday.
The ministry gave no further details on Pistorius' release. The announcement was made around 8:30 a.m. local time, indicating that prison authorities had released the famous double-amputee Olympic runner early from Atteridgeville Correctional Center in the South African capital, Pretoria.
Pistorius has served almost nine years of his 13-year, 5-month murder sentence for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day 2013. His parole was approved in November.
In South Africa, serious offenders are eligible for parole after serving at least half of their sentence.
The Department of Corrections said in a two-sentence statement announcing Pistorius' release that it was “able to confirm that Oscar Pistorius is on parole, effective January 5, 2024. He has been admitted to the system community corrections and is now home. “
Pistorius was initially due to live at his uncle's mansion in the upmarket Waterkloof suburb of Pretoria, and a police van was seen parked outside the house.
Department of Corrections officials had said Pistorius' release time would not be announced in advance and that he would not be “on display” because they hoped to keep him away from the media glare that had been following him since he shot Steenkamp multiple times through a bathroom door at his home in the early hours of February 14, 2013.
He will live under strict parole conditions until the remainder of his sentence expires in December 2029.
Steenkamp's mother, June Steenkamp, said in a statement on Friday that she had accepted Pistorius' parole under South African law.
“Was there any justice for Reeva? Did Oscar serve enough time? There can never be justice if your loved one never comes back, and no amount of time served will bring Reeva back,” June said Steenkamp. “We who remain behind are the ones serving a life sentence.”
“With Oscar Pistorius' parole, my only desire is to be able to live out my remaining years in peace by focusing on the Reeva Rebecca Steenkamp Foundation, to continue Reeva's legacy.”
The Department of Corrections stressed that the release of the multiple Paralympic champion – like that of all other offenders on parole – does not mean he has served his sentence.
Some of Pistorius' parole conditions include restrictions on when he is allowed to leave his home, a ban on alcohol and orders requiring him to attend anger management and counseling programs. violence against women. He will have to carry out work of general interest.
Pistorius will also have to meet regularly with parole officers at his home and Correctional Service offices and will be subject to unannounced visits from authorities. He is not allowed to leave the Waterkloof district without permission and is prohibited from speaking to the media until the end of his sentence. He could be sent back to prison if he violates any of his parole conditions.
South Africa does not use tags or bracelets on offenders on parole, so Pistorius will not wear any monitoring devices, Department of Correctional Services officials said. But he will be constantly monitored by a ministry official and will have to inform them of any major changes in his life, for example if he wants to find a job or move to another house.
Pistorius maintained that he mistakenly shot Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model and law graduate. He testified that he believed Steenkamp was a dangerous intruder hiding in his bathroom and that he fired through the door with his licensed 9mm pistol in self-defense.
Prosecutors said he intentionally killed his girlfriend during a late-night argument.
Steenkamp's family did not object to his request for parole in November, although June Steenkamp said in a victim impact statement submitted to the parole board that she did not believe Pistorius had been fully rehabilitated and that she was still lying about the murder.
Before the murder, Pistorius was seen as an inspirational role model after having both legs amputated below the knee as a baby due to a congenital condition. He became a sprint champion on his carbon fiber racing blades and made history by competing in the 2012 London Olympics.
But his murder trial destroyed his image. He was accused of being prone to outbursts of anger and acting recklessly with firearms, while witnesses testified about various altercations he had with others, including an argument during which he allegedly threatened to break a man's legs.
Pistorius was initially convicted of culpable homicide – a charge comparable to manslaughter – and sentenced to five years in prison for Steenkamp's murder. After appeals from prosecutors, he was eventually convicted of murder and his sentence was increased, although the Supreme Court of Appeal's judgment has still not definitively ruled that he knew it was Steenkamp behind the toilet door.
Pistorius was first sent to prison in 2014, was released to house arrest in 2015 during an appeal and was returned to prison in 2016. He was initially incarcerated at Kgosi Maximum Security Prison Mampuru II in Pretoria, but was transferred to Atteridgeville early in his life. sentence because it is better suited to the detention of disabled prisoners.
Reaction to Pistorius' parole has been muted in South Africa, a stark contrast to the first days and months after Steenkamp's murder, which sparked angry protests outside Pistorius' court hearings, calling to a long prison sentence. There is no death penalty in South Africa.
“He ticked all the necessary boxes,” said Themba Masango, secretary-general of Not In My Name International, a group that campaigns against violence against women. “And we can only wish and hope that Oscar Pistorius will become a better human being.”
“We tend to forget that there is a possibility of social reintegration.”
