Authorities released Olympic athletic Oscar Pistorius on parole early on Friday, nearly 11 years after he murdered his girlfriend.
South African officials confirmed Pistorius’ release in a two-sentence statement, saying that he “is a parolee, effectively from 5 January 2024,″ and that he “is now at home.”
He is believed to be staying at his uncle’s house, The Associated Press reported.
PAROLE PLACEMENT FOR OSCAR PISTORIUS pic.twitter.com/p0YytgoNfe
— Ministry of Justice and Correctional Services 🇿🇦 (@Min_JCS) January 5, 2024
The 37-year-old’s release came after officials announced he had been granted parole in November. The Olympic runner, a double amputee, was found guilty of shooting his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, to death at his home on Valentine’s Day in 2013.
Pistorius has maintained that he shot Steenkamp in self-defense after mistaking her for an intruder, according to the AP. Prosecutors said he killed Steenkamp after a late-night argument.
In a statement obtained by BBC News, Steenkamp’s mother, June, said she accepted the decision to release Pistorius.
She added, “Has there been justice for Reeva? Has Oscar served enough time? There can never be justice if your loved one is never coming back, and no amount of time served will bring Reeva back. We, who remain behind, are the ones serving a life sentence.”
In 2014, a South African high court jailed Pistorius for five years for culpable homicide in Steenkamp’s death. However, in late 2015 the Supreme Court of Appeal found he was guilty of murder and increased his sentence to 13 years, BBC News reported. He spent about eight and a half years in jail and seven months under house arrest before his release on Friday, according to Reuters.
He became eligible for parole after serving half of his sentence.
Before the killing, Pistorius was widely considered a role model and an inspiration. Both of his legs were amputated below his knee when he was a baby due to a congenital condition, the AP reported. Still, he went on to become a champion sprinter, earning him the nickname “Blade Runner.” In 2012, he became the first double amputee to run in the Olympics, according to BBC News.
He will be required to adhere to several rules and monitoring as a condition of his parole until the expiration of his sentence in 2029.
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