Oscar Pistorius has been freed on parole nearly 11 years after murdering his girlfriend in a case that made global headlines.
The former Paralympic champion – once celebrated as the ‘blade runner’ – was granted parole in November and today left a South African jail and is now at home, South Africa’s correctional services department said.
Pistorius shot Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day in 2013 at his home in Pretoria.
The 37-year-old said he fired his gun through a bathroom door after mistaking her for an intruder.
Prosecutors said the killing was premeditated and he shot Ms Steenkamp after she fled to the toilet following a row.
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Oscar Pistorius with Reeva Steenkamp weeks before her murder
What are Pistorius’ parole conditions?
The parole will last until December 2029 and Pistorius will be subject to restrictions and supervised by a correctional services official.
Some of the parole conditions include restrictions on when he will be allowed to leave his home, a ban on consuming alcohol and orders he must also attend therapy for anger issues and “gender-based violence issues”. He will also have to perform community service.
Pistorius will have to regularly meet with parole officers and will be subjected to unannounced visits by authorities. He will have to inform a Department of Corrections official of any major changes in his life, such as if he wants to get a job or move to another house.
He was expected to stay in his uncle’s Pretoria mansion and will not be allowed to leave the Waterkloof district without permission.
He could be sent back to jail if he breaches any of his parole conditions.
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A police vehicle at the entrance of the Atteridgeville Correctional Centre, where Pistorius was released on parole
‘No amount of time served will bring Reeva back’
In a statement shared by the Steenkamp family lawyer, Ms Steenkamp’s mother said: “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,” June Steenkamp said. “With the release of Oscar Pistorius on parole, my only desire is that I will be allowed to live my last years in peace with my focus remaining on the Reeva Rebecca Steenkamp Foundation, to continue Reeva’s legacy.”
She said the conditions imposed by the parole board had affirmed her belief in the South African justice system as they “send out a clear message that gender-based violence is taken seriously”.
Read more:From ‘blade runner’ to convicted murderer: The fall of Oscar Pistorius
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June Steenkamp
Pistorius had sentence increased after it was deemed ‘shockingly lenient’
Pistorius was initially not found guilty of murder and convicted of culpable homicide (equivalent to manslaughter) in a case broadcast on live TV.
He was sentenced to five years in 2014 and eventually released to house arrest.
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Oscar Pistorius leaving court in 2016
A year later, the conviction was overturned by South Africa’s supreme court and he was found guilty of murder.
Pistorius was given six years in 2016 – later increased to 13 years and five months after it was deemed “shockingly lenient”.
Serious offenders are eligible for parole in South Africa after serving at least half their sentence.
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Pistorius during sentencing for murdering Ms Steenkamp
Muted reaction to release
Pistorius was denied parole in March 2023 after a court said he had applied too early.
However, his lawyer said the court’s calculations were a mistake, and eight months later the decision went his way.
Reaction to Pistorius’s parole has been relatively muted in South Africa, in stark contrast to the days and months after Ms Steenkamp’s killing which saw angry protests outside court hearings calling for him to receive a long prison sentence.
“He has ticked all the necessary boxes,” said Themba Masango, secretary general of Not In My Name International, a group campaigning against violence against women. “And we can only wish and hope Oscar Pistorius will come out a better human being.
“We tend to forget that there is a possibility where somebody can be rehabilitated.”
