Former Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius has been granted parole and will be released from prison nearly a decade after being incarcerated for the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.
He successfully won his case during a parole board hearing, leading to his imminent release.
The South African athlete, who is a double amputee, shot and killed Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day in 2013.
In 2016, he was sentenced to 13 years in prison for her murder, claiming that he mistook her for an intruder and that the shooting was a tragic mistake.
The Department of Corrections in South Africa announced today that Pistorius will be released on January 5, following which he will undergo therapy for anger management.
However, he will remain under supervision and will be restricted from leaving the area of Waterkloof, where he will be residing with his family for a period of five years.
Singabakho Nxumalo, spokesperson for the Department of Corrections, emphasized that parole does not signify the end of Pistorius’ sentence, but rather a continuation of it outside the prison facility.
The conditions attached to his release include specific guidelines regarding his presence at home and work, as well as a prohibition on alcohol and drug consumption.
In response to the decision, Rob Matthews, spokesperson for June Steenkamp, Reeva’s mother, stated that the parole board believed Pistorius met the criteria for release.
