Former South African Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius was granted parole on Friday, effective January 5, ten years after the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, in a case that captivated the planet. “The Department of Correctional Services confirms the conditional release of Mr. Oscar Leonard Carl Pistorius, effective January 5, 2024,” the prison administration announced in a press release. The conditions of this release must still be specified.
An ad hoc commission, made up of members of the prison services and ordinary civilians, met in the morning in the prison near Pretoria where Pistorius, 37, is still detained. This commission was responsible for determining whether the person convicted of murder is “suitable or not for social reintegration”. Pistorius “did not rehabilitate” in prison, said June Steenkamp, the victim’s mother, in a statement submitted to the commission. The family, however, did not formally oppose the request for early release.
A first request rejected
In March, a first request was rejected. The prison services had estimated to everyone’s surprise that Pistorius, sentenced to thirteen years and 5 months in prison on appeal, had not served the minimum period of detention required.
In South Africa, prisoners can benefit from early release after half their sentence has been completed. Pistorius having been convicted at first instance, then several times on appeal, it was calculated that, according to a count starting from the date of his last conviction, he had not served the minimum time. But the Constitutional Court contradicted this calculation, ruling last month that the counting should begin on the date of his first placement in detention.
A “testing” procedure for Steenkamp’s family
On the night of February 13-14, 2013, Oscar Pistorius shot dead his partner, model Reeva Steenkamp, 29, shooting four times through the bathroom door of her bedroom in his ultra-secure Pretoria home. Rich, famous, the six-time Paralympic champion was crowned with glory at the time. He had become a sporting legend a year earlier by lining up with the able-bodied in the 400 meters at the London Olympic Games, a first for a double leg amputee.
“Blade Runner”, as he is nicknamed in reference to his carbon prostheses, claims to have believed in the presence of an intruder. He was sentenced to five years in prison for manslaughter following his first trial in 2014. The prosecution considered the justice system too lenient and demanded a reclassification as murder. In 2017, the Supreme Court of Appeal finally sentenced Pistorius to more than 13 years in prison. Abandoned by his sponsors, ruined, the fallen idol sells his house to pay his lawyers.
As part of his request for parole, Oscar Pistorius met Reeva Steenkamp’s parents last year. A mandatory step aimed, according to the authorities, at ensuring that detainees “recognize the harm caused”. “I don’t believe his story,” said June Steenkamp, then present. Reeva Steenkamp’s father died in September. The whole procedure was “very emotionally trying”, the family’s lawyer, Tania Koen, told AFP.