Oscar Pistorius granted parole nearly 11 years after murder of Reeva Steenkamp

Oscar Pistorius will be released from prison on parole, nearly 11 years after murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. The parole board has set his release for January 5 2024.

Pistorius, now 37, shot Steenkamp multiple times through a bathroom door at their family home in Pretoria, South Africa on Valentine’s Day in 2013. He later claimed he had mistook her for a burglar, adding that he feared for his safety.

The prosecution argued it was a premeditated attack after the couple had gotten into an argument. Pistorius was initially convicted of culpable homicide, the equivalent of a manslaughter charge in the UK, and sentenced to five years behind bars but that conviction was overturned when South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal later found him guilty of murder.

He was sentenced to 13 years and five months in prison for his crime but will be granted parole one month shy of 11 years.

The release of the Paralympic champion has sparked fury with domestic abuse campaigner David Challen raging on X: “Shameful. Reeva Steenkamp’s life was worth just a six-and-a-half years prison sentence. This is the value justice systems throughout the world put on the lives of women murdered by men…”

Meanwhile, Reeva’s mother June refused to attend the hearing, saying in a statement that was read out in court: “I simply cannot muster the energy to face him again at this stage. 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.”

Pistorius was denied parole in March after it was ruled that he had not completed the minimum detention period required to be considered for parole. The constitutional court said in October that Pistorius had served half of his sentence by March of this year, meaning he was eligible for parole.

Pistorius had both of his legs amputated below the knee at 11 months old due to a congenital defect and went on to compete at the Paralympic Games as a 100m, 200m and 400m sprinter. He also became the first double amputee to compete in the Olympics.

In total, Pistorius won six Paralympic golds during his career as well as silvers at the African Games and IAAF World Championships where he competed against non-disabled athletes.