Oscar Pistorius was released on parole from a South African prison nearly 11 years after killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. Pistorius was “at home” on Friday morning, according to officials, having served half of his more than 13-year sentence.
Ms Steenkamp’s mother said she respected the decision to free her daughter, but that her family was “serving a life sentence.” Pistorius, now 37, shot Ms Steenkamp three times through a door in 2013. Later, the double amputee said he mistook her for a burglar.
Pistorius convicted of murder, eligible for parole after 6.5 years
After an appeal court rejected an earlier finding of culpable homicide, Pistorius was eventually convicted of murder in 2015. Under South African law, all criminals are eligible for parole after serving half of their overall sentence, which was finally established at 13 years and five months for Pistorius in 2017.
He will be subjected to rigorous limitations, including the prohibition on speaking to the media until his sentence expires in 2029. June Steenkamp said in a statement that the family had “always known that parole is part of the South African legal system” and had “always said that the law must take its course”.
Mrs Steenkamp said she was pleased with the parole board’s terms, which included anger management classes and programs on gender-based violence, and that they “affirmed Barry and my belief in the South African justice system,” referring to her late husband.
But, she asked: “Has there been justice for Reeva? 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 his initial conviction in October 2014
When he was less than a year old, his lower legs were amputated. Pistorius went on to become a world-renowned athlete known as the “blade runner” after relying on prosthetics. He had a remarkable track career, first at the Paralympics, where he won numerous gold medals, and then at the London Olympics, where he competed against non-disabled athletes. Six months later, Ms Steenkamp’s murder and ensuing trials dominated headlines throughout the world.
According to South Africa’s correctional services agency, despite his huge public prominence, the former actor will be treated the same as any other parolee. 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 company to assist mistreated women.
Ms Steenkamp had been dating Pistorius for three months when he fired four rounds through the door of a toilet cubicle at his Pretoria home in the early hours of 14 February 2013.
She passed away nearly instantly
The state charged Pistorius with murder, but he was convicted in 2014 of culpable homicide, also known as manslaughter. The following year, judges on the Supreme Court of Appeal overturned his murder conviction, stating that his version of events was inconsistent and unlikely and that he had been “fired without having a rational or genuine fear that his life was in danger.”