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regular-article-logo Saturday, 11 May 2024

Oscar Pistorius waits to walk free

Former Olympic runner was convicted of murder in Steenkamp’s Valentine’s Day 2013 killing

AP/PTI Cape Town Published 31.03.23, 05:00 AM
Oscar Pistorius

Oscar Pistorius File picture

Former Olympic runner Oscar Pistorius has applied for parole and is expected to attend a hearing on Friday that will decide if he can be released from prison 10 years after killing girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp by shooting her multiple times through a toilet door in his home.

Pistorius, who was convicted of murder in Steenkamp’s Valentine’s Day 2013 killing, could leave the correctional centre in Pretoria on Friday if his parole is granted, although the Department of Corrections said the process may take days to finalise if his application is successful.

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Barry and June Steenkamp, Reeva’s parents, have said they oppose the release and are allowed to address the parole board at his hearing. A submission by a victim’s relatives is one of numerous factors taken into account.

“He is a murderer. He should remain in jail,” Barry Steenkamp said in an interview with Britain’s Daily Mail newspaper published last month on the 10th anniversary of his daughter’s killing.

The Department of Corrections declined to give details on Pistorius’ hearing.

According to guidelines, the board will consider the offence Pistorius, now 36, was convicted of, his conduct and disciplinary record while in prison, whether he took part in educational or other training courses, his mental and physical state, whether he’s likely to “relapse into crime”.

Of all the factors, a legal expert said that “generally speaking, the behaviour of the offender is the most important consideration.” Pistorius’ parole lawyer, Julian Knight, has previously said Pistorius has been a “model prisoner.”

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