RELEASING: South African Athlete Oscar Pistorius Granted Parole After 9 Years in Prison

PRETORIA, South Africa – Oscar Pistorius, the South African athlete who served nearly nine years in prison for killing his girlfriend, has been released on parole, the Department of Corrections announced on Friday. Pistorius was serving a 13-year and five-month sentence for murdering Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day in 2013. He was approved for parole in November and has now been released from the Atteridgeville Correctional Center in Pretoria.

Pistorius will be living under strict parole conditions until December 2029, and he will have to adhere to various restrictions, including a ban on consuming alcohol, regular meetings with parole officials, and community service. Additionally, he is not allowed to leave the defined district without permission and is prohibited from speaking to the media until the end of his sentence.

The athlete has consistently maintained that he shot Steenkamp by mistake, believing she was an intruder. However, prosecutors argued that he intentionally killed his girlfriend during a late-night argument. Steenkamp’s family did not oppose Pistorius’ parole application, although her mother, June Steenkamp, stated that she did not believe he had been fully rehabilitated.

Pistorius, who gained international fame as a Paralympic champion before the incident, has had his image tarnished by the murder trial. His parole has received a muted reaction from the public, in contrast to the initial protest demanding a long prison sentence for him.

The release of Oscar Pistorius marks the latest development in a case marked by controversy and tragedy. He will now navigate life under parole conditions, with lingering questions about justice and rehabilitation in a case that has captivated the world’s attention.