Former South Africa Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius, who was jailed in 2014 for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, was granted parole effective from January 5, 2024, the Department of Correctional Services said on Friday. Also known as Blade Runner due to his prosthetics, Pistorius shot dead his partner Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day, way back in 2013.
“The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) confirms parole placement for Mr Oscar Leonard Carl Pistorius, effectively from 5 January 2024,” a DCS spokesman said. As per Pistorius, he shot Steenkamp multiple times through a bathroom door, thinking her to be a burglar. Many reports from the trials had suggested that Steenkamp had fled to the toilet cubicle during a late-night argument and Pistorius killed her in a rage.
After being initially sentenced to six years, his punishment was increased after multiple reviews to 13 years.
As per a report in the BBC, Reeva’s mother June decided not to oppose this decision, after her father Barry passed away early this year. Unfortunately, for Pistorius and Steenkamp, the incident happened at a time when the former was starting to climb up the ladder of success. He was fresh from participating in the 2012 London Olympics and had already won multiple golds in Paralympics.
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