Former South African Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius, who is serving a prison sentence for the death of his girlfriend in 2013, will find out in the coming days whether he will be paroled, it was announced on Wednesday.
South African law stipulates that after half of the sentence has expired, a convicted person can benefit from an adjustment, which entails a possible conditional release.
Oscar Pistorius, 36 years old, amputee of both legs, was sentenced on appeal in November 2017 to 13 years and five months in prison, eligible since July 2021. The possibility of release will now be decided by a committee.
The commission, which meets in Pretoria on Friday, will analyze the former athlete’s behavior in detention, his physical and mental condition and the risk of recidivism.
The lengthy proceedings, which began more than a year ago, included a meeting last year with the parents of the victim, former model Reeva Steenkamp, who said they were shocked at the idea of their daughter’s killer being released.
On the night of February 13-14, 2013, the South African Paralympic athlete shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, aged 29, through the bathroom door claiming he believed it to be a thief, leading her to take four shots to life came.
Oscar Pistorius, nicknamed ‘Blade Runner’ for his carbon blade prostheses, was Paralympic champion in the 200 meters in Athens in 2004 and in the 100, 200 and 400 meters in Beijing in 2008. He was also a silver medalist in the 200 meters in London 2012 and bronze in the 100 meters in Athens 2004.
The South African Paralympic athlete also made history by becoming the first amputee of both legs to run on par with non-disabled athletes in the 400m at the 2012 London Olympics.
Source: DN
