Oscar Pistorius set to be freed from prison on parole after serving just 11 months of his sentence for killing Reeva Steenkamp
jailed sprinter Oscar Pistorius is set to be freed on Tuesday after serving just 11 months of his five-year prison sentence.
The
Paralympian star's lawyers successfully argued that he should be
released on house arrest after serving a year of his five-year jail
sentence for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in 2013.
Pistorius
was initially due to be freed in August, but intervention by the
minister of justice led to a series of delays before today's parole
board decision.
However,
he still faces an appeal in the Supreme Court next month, which if
successful, will upgrade his charge to murder and see him re-jailed for a
minimum of 15 years.
Oscar Pistorius, pictured as he was led to prison following his 2014 sentencing, will be released from prison on Tuesday
Gunned down: Pistorius was found
guilty last year of culpable homicide – equivalent to manslaughter –
after shooting Reeva Steenkamp through a locked toilet door, saying he
mistook her for an intruder
Reeva Steenkamp's family confirmed they were informed, but not surprised, of the decision to release Pistorius
A
spokesperson for the Department of Correctional Services said the parole
board 'approved the placement of offender Oscar Pistorius under
correctional supervision as from 20 October 2015'.
'The
parole board considered all submissions, including the offender's
profile report, the directives of the Parole Review Board and the
submission of the victim's family.'
Under
South African law, an offender sentenced to five years or less in jail
can be released after serving one-sixth - in Pistorius' case 10 months.
The
department said parole conditions would include him undergoing
psychotherapy. Pistorius, a gun lover, will also be subject to firearms
prohibitions.
The
spokeswoman for Barry and June Steenkamp confirmed they had received a
call from the parole board notifying them of their decision to released
Pistorius.
'We were not surprised to hear their decision, we had been expecting that,' she said.
The
Steenkamps had expressed their objection to the idea that their
daughter’s killer should be freed only ten months after he was jailed,
prior to a the announcement in June that Pistorius was due to be moved
to ‘correctional supervision’ in August.
'For
our beautiful daughter - for anyone's life - it's definitely not long
enough,' Steenkamp's mother told You Magazine, a South African tabloid.
'She was robbed of her future, her career, her chance to get married and have a baby.'
Steenkamp would have turned 32 in August this year.
Pistorius's family have accused officials of bowing to 'political and media hype' by denying him parole.
Brian
Webber, a lawyer representing Pistorius, said officials would have
considered how 'unfairly' he had been treated after his release was
delayed in August.
Comments