Former South African Olympian Oscar Pistorius has been granted parole and is set to be freed from prison ten years after being convicted for the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.
The convict was previously released for a period of house arrest back in 2015 while one of the appeals in his case was heard. After his conviction of murder, he was sentenced to 13 years and five months of jail time.
Oscar Pistorius Paroled
In South Africa, serious offenders must serve at least half their sentence to be eligible for parole, which Pistorius has already done. The convict was at the height of his fame and was one of the world's most admired athletes when he killed Steenkamp.
The former Olympian was found to have shot his girlfriend multiple times in the bathroom of his villa in the capital, Pretoria, in the predawn hours using his licensed 9mm pistol. The parole hearing on Friday was Pistorius' second in eight months, as per ESPN.
He was mistakenly ruled ineligible for early release during his first hearing, which was conducted in March. That particular incident was caused by an error made by an appeals court over when the sentence officially began.
The South African was initially convicted of culpable homicide, which is a charge that is comparable to manslaughter, for the killing of his girlfriend. It was later overturned and he was instead convicted of murder after prosecutors appealed. They also appealed against an initial sentence of six years and the defendant was ultimately given his final sentence of 13 years and five months.
Pistorius previously testified at his murder trial that he killed Steenkamp accidentally, thinking that she was a dangerous intruder who was hiding in the bathroom in the middle of the night. However, prosecutors argued that the 29-year-old victim, who was a model and reality TV star, had fled to the toilet cubicle during a late-night argument. They added that the former Olympian killed her because he was in a rage.
Killing of Reeva Steenkamp
After he is released, the authorities monitor the convict until his sentence officially expires "just like all other parolees." According to BBC, if he wishes to move houses or get a job during that time, he would have to notify his parole officer.
Steenkamp's family spokesman said that Pistorius is also required to attend therapy sessions after being freed from prison. The victim's mother said in a letter that she did not oppose the release but wondered whether Pistorius' "huge anger issues" were truly dealt with in prison.
She added that she was concerned for the safety of any woman who would come into contact with her daughter's killer. June Steenkamp decided not to attend Pistorius' parole hearing at Atteridgeville prison because she could not muster the energy to face him again at this point.
The victim's father, Barry Steenkamp, was not able to live to see the day that his daughter's killer would be freed, as he died earlier this year. After being freed from prison, Pistorius will live at his uncle's mansion in a wealthy Pretoria suburb, said the Associated Press.
