Oscar Pistorius denied parole for murdering Reeva Steenkamp



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Oscar Pistorius, the disgraced South African Paralympian who murdered his girlfriend 10 years in the past, was denied parole Friday, following a listening to at a jail in Pretoria, South Africa’s administrative capital, the place he has been held.

The double-amputee sprinter, 36, who was referred to as the “Blade Runner” for his carbon fiber prosthetic legs, fired at Reeva Steenkamp 4 occasions by means of a locked toilet door at his house in Pretoria within the early hours of Valentine’s Day in 2013. A promising mannequin and regulation graduate, she was 29.

Pistorius’ trial was beamed world wide and particulars of Steenkamp’s demise shocked audiences, whereas the case immediately ended the profession of a pioneering sportsman who made historical past by competing towards able-bodied athletes on the Olympics.  

A press release from South Africa’s Division of Correctional Companies mentioned Pistorius could be thought of for parole once more in August 2024 and wouldn't be launched now as a result of “he didn't full the minimal Detention Interval as dominated by the Supreme Courtroom of Attraction.”

The Steenkamp household’s lawyer, Tania Koen, mentioned in an announcement after the parole board’s choice: “Whereas we welcome in the present day’s choice, in the present day just isn't a trigger for celebration. We miss Reeva terribly and can accomplish that for the remainder of our lives. We imagine in justice and hope that it continues to prevail.”

Oscar Pistorius set for release after serving half of his sentence for the murder of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp
South African Paralympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius throughout his homicide trial on the excessive court docket in Pretoria on Might 6, 2014.Mike Hutchings / AFP by way of Getty Photographs file

Pistorius has at all times maintained that he mistook Steenkamp for a burglar and shot her in error, however he was finally convicted of homicide. Beneath South African regulation he's eligible for launch having served half his sentence of 13 years and 5 months. 

If Pistorius had been launched earlier than the top of his jail time period, he would possible have needed to put on a safety tag and never journey outdoors of Gauteng Province, which incorporates Johannesburg and Pretoria. He would have remained below the supervision of the authorities and attended common appointments till his complete sentence was completed.

Pistorius met with Steenkamp’s father, Barry, in June 2022 as a situation of the parole course of. Her household opposed his launch as a result of they nonetheless don’t imagine Pistorius’ account of their daughter’s killing.

Her mom, June Steenkamp, attended the listening to on Friday to ship written and oral statements to the parole board that defined the impact Reeva’s homicide has had on their lives.

“Except he comes clear, they don’t really feel that he's rehabilitated,” Koen, advised reporters outdoors the Atteridgeville Correctional Centre jail, earlier than the listening to.

Pistorius’ protracted trial started in 2014, with two subsequent appeals by prosecutors. The a number of Paralympic champion was initially discovered responsible of culpable murder — an offense similar to manslaughter — for taking pictures Steenkamp. 

However in 2015, prosecutors appealed the manslaughter discovering and secured a homicide conviction

Oscar Pistorius and Reeva Steenkamp
Oscar Pistorius and Reeva Steenkamp in Johannesburg in 2012. The couple had been collectively for simply two months on the time of her demise.Fortunate Nxumalo / AFP - Getty Photographs file

Pistorius was sentenced to 6 years in jail for homicide, however prosecutors once more appealed what they referred to as a “shockingly lenient” punishment. The Supreme Courtroom of Attraction then elevated his sentence to 13.5 years in jail in 2017.

“It utterly dominated protection on the time, on each TV, radio station in addition to the newspapers, on-line, social media and so forth,” Glenda Daniels, affiliate professor of media research on the College of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, advised NBC Information. “There was even an entire TV channel dedicated to the trial.”

There have been many layers contributing to world curiosity within the trial, Daniels mentioned, chief amongst them Pistorius being “a cherished character” within the sports activities world, regionally and internationally, and the superstar standing of the couple.

Pistorius was born with a congenital situation that led to each his legs being amputated under the knee when he was 11 months previous.

However he grew to become world-famous for his sporting exploits, main out the South African staff on the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony, days earlier than turning into the primary double amputee to compete towards able-bodied athletes on the video games. He would go on to succeed in the semi-finals within the 400m, the gap he specialised in.

As a Paralympian he was a world document holder and world champion. This led to profitable sponsorship offers with Nike and Oakley, which have been suspended after Steenkamp’s demise.

South African Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius is expected to attend a parole hearing on Friday that could see him released from prison early, a decade after he killed his girlfriend.
Reeva Steenkamp's mom, June, on the Atteridgeville Correctional Centre in Pretoria for a parole listening to. The household oppose Pistorius' launch.Phill Magakoe / AFP - Getty Photographs

At his trial in 2014, the court docket heard from a earlier girlfriend who mentioned Pistorius had a gun with him “on a regular basis,” together with on his bedside desk whereas he slept.

Pistorius advised the court docket that his actions in taking pictures Steenkamp have been influenced by his worry of a house invasion. He mentioned he had been adopted, shot at and hi-jacked whereas residing in South Africa and mentioned he was “merely attempting to guard Reeva” as he apologized to her household. 

“I assumed that there was a burglar that was gaining entry to my house. Initially I simply froze. The very first thing that ran by means of my thoughts was that I wanted to arm myself,” he advised the court docket.



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