Oscar Pistorius
Ex-Paralympics star released from prison early
Oscar Pistorius in court during the 2014 hearings.
© imago/PR
Oscar Pistorius is no longer in prison. He was released from prison around eleven years after the murder of his then-girlfriend.
Former South African Paralympics champion Oscar Pistorius (37) is free again around eleven years after the murder of his then girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp (1983-2013). As the British newspaper “The Sun” reported, among others, he was released from prison on parole on Friday. In November, Pistorius made a corresponding request, which was granted. The ex-athlete served his sentence in the detention center in Atteridgeville, a suburb of Pretoria in South Africa. He served around half of his sentence. The probation runs until December 5, 2029.
After several proceedings, a court finally found it proven that Pistorius intentionally killed Steenkamp with several shots through a closed bathroom door on Valentine’s Day 2013. The judges sentenced him to 13 years and 5 months in prison. In March 2023, an early release from prison failed. The probation that has now been granted is subject to strict conditions. As the responsible authority announced, Pistorius, known as “Blade Runner”, had to go through a rehabilitation program, was only allowed to leave his home in Waterkloof with permission and was “under constant supervision”.
He will also be assigned a probation officer, he will not be allowed to drink alcohol and will not be allowed to give interviews. An authority spokesman said the same rules would apply to Pistorius as to all other criminals. As a spokesman for the victim’s family explained, Pistorius will do charitable work and complete therapy for violent offenders and anti-aggression training.
Oscar Pistorius always maintained that it was an accident
Pistorius never denied firing the shots at Steenkamp. However, he mistook his partner for a burglar who barricaded himself in the bathroom. He therefore never wanted to hurt Steenkamp; the incident was a tragic accident. Initially, Pistorius was only found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in 2014. After prosecutors launched an appeal, a new court convicted him of “murder with diminished intent to kill” in 2015. Due to extenuating circumstances, the sentence was initially set at six years, but in 2017 this was increased to the final sentence in new proceedings.
Pistorius, who had both legs amputated below the knee at the age of eleven months due to a deformity, is still considered one of the most successful and colorful Paralympic athletes in history. At the games in Athens, Beijing and London he won a total of six gold medals in various sprint disciplines. He also held the world records in the 100 and 200 meter run in his starting class for a long time. To date, no one has run faster than Pistorius over 400 meters. In 2012 he became the first amputee athlete to take part in the regular Olympic Games in London.