South Africa: Oscar Pistorius Receives Parole a Decade After Fatally Shooting Girlfriend

Cape Town — Former Paralympian Oscar Pistorius, 37, has been granted parole by the Department of Corrections after serving 10 years in prison for fatally shot his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, on February 14, 2013. He was sentenced to serve 13 years and five months after being convicted of murder.

Department of Corrections spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said Pistorius would be released on January 5, 2024 under multiple conditions which include him not being able to leave the Pretoria area without permission, and mandatory attendance of anger management classes and community service.

The parole period will last a total of five years. “Parole does not mean the end of the sentence. It is still part of the sentence. It only means the inmate will complete the sentence outside a correctional facility,” Nxumalo said.

In his trial, Pistorius – who has been imprisoned since late 2014 – claimed he mistook Steenkamp for a burglar before firing multiple shots through a bathroom door, killing her. He was charged under the “dolus eventualis” legal principle, which means he acted with extreme recklessness knowing that whoever was behind the door would likely be killed.