Oscar Pistorius Set for Release on Parole

Oscar Pistorius Set for Release on Parole

Former Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius is set to be released on parole, nearly 11 years after the tragic murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.
Pistorius, now 37, was convicted in 2016 for shooting Ms. Steenkamp multiple times through a bathroom door on Valentine’s Day in 2013, claiming he mistook her for a burglar.

The parole board has scheduled his release for January 5, 2024. Following his release, Pistorius will be under authorities’ monitoring until his 13-year sentence officially concludes, as stipulated by the Department of Correctional Services.
Additionally, he is required to attend therapy sessions, according to a spokesman for the Steenkamp family.

In a letter addressed to the parole board before the ruling, Ms. Steenkamp’s mother expressed concerns about Pistorius’s “huge anger issues” and questioned whether they were adequately addressed during his prison term. While she did not oppose his release, she conveyed potential worries for the safety of any woman who might come into contact with him.

During the parole hearing at Atteridgeville prison near Pretoria, Ms. Steenkamp’s mother, June, opted not to attend, citing the emotional strain and stating, “I simply cannot muster the energy to face him again at this stage.
” Barry Steenkamp, Reeva’s father, passed away earlier in the year, and Mrs. Steenkamp revealed the immense toll it had taken on both of them.

Despite her belief that Pistorius has not shown remorse, Mrs. Steenkamp had forgiven him long ago, recognizing that clinging to anger would be detrimental to her survival.
This parole hearing was Pistorius’s second in less than a year, with his initial bid in March being rejected due to an incomplete minimum detention period.
This decision was later deemed a mistake by South Africa’s Constitutional Court, leading to the recent parole hearing.