Disgraced Olympic and Paralympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius will be released from prison in South Africa on parole in January. Pistorius, a six-time Paralympic gold medalist, has spent the last decade in prison after shooting and killing his girlfriend in their home. According to a Department of Corrections spokesperson, Pistorius will be released on January 5. However, he will not be able to leave the neighborhood of Pretoria he is set to live in, must attend anger management counseling, and perform community service. "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," the spokesperson told ESPN.
Pistorius was once the poster child of the Olympic movement. A double amputee, Pistorius dominated his classification at the Paralympics between 2004 and 2012. However, he also made headlines after successfully campaigning for the chance to compete at the Olympics as well. Pistorius reached the semifinals of the men's 400m event at the 2012 Games. However, it would all come crashing down after Pistorius murdered his girlfriend, Reeve Steenkamp. While Pistorius admitted to shooting Steenkamp four times, he claimed he had mistaken her for an intruder.
Steenkamp's Family Speaks On Pistorius Parole
Steenkamp's family did not oppose or object to Pistorius' parole. Her father died earlier this year and her mother said, via a statement read by a family friend, that she "did not have the energy to face him". "I do not believe Oscar's version that he thought the person in the toilet was a burglar. In fact, I do not know anybody who does. My dearest child screamed for her life. … I believe he knew it was Reeva," the statement continued. It was read outside the prison where Pistorius has been held since 2016 by Rob Matthews. Matthew's daughter was murdered in 2004 and he has since become a close friend of the Steenkamp family.
Upon release, Pistorius is expected to reside in the mansion of his uncle in a wealthy Pretoria suburb. While little has been said of Pistorius' time in jail, his father claims that he holds Bible study for his fellow prisoners. However, Pistorius also required medical treatment during his incarceration. It is believed he was assaulted by a fellow prisoner regarding an argument about a prison telephone.
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