PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA – Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius has been released on parole after nearly nine years in prison for the killing of his girlfriend, South Africa’s Department of Corrections announced Friday. Pistorius was serving a 13-year and five-month sentence for the 2013 murder of Reeva Steenkamp, and was approved for parole in November.
Pistorius, a double-amputee Olympic runner, was released from Atteridgeville Correctional Center in Pretoria early in the morning, although details of his release were not disclosed by the Department of Corrections. Serious offenders in South Africa are eligible for parole after serving at least half of their sentence.
The Department of Corrections confirmed Pistorius’ parole in a brief statement, indicating that he will be under strict parole conditions until the remainder of his sentence expires in December 2029.
June Steenkamp, Reeva Steenkamp’s mother, expressed her acceptance of Pistorius’ parole as part of South African law, but questioned if justice had truly been served for her daughter. The Department of Corrections also emphasized that Pistorius’ release does not signify the completion of his sentence, and laid out several stringent parole conditions for him.
Pistorius has maintained that he shot Steenkamp by mistake, believing her to be a dangerous intruder, while prosecutors argued that he killed her intentionally during an argument. Despite the lack of opposition from Steenkamp’s family, concerns about Pistorius’ rehabilitation and the circumstances of the killing persist, complicating his transition back into society.
The athlete’s fall from grace after his inspiring career as a Paralympic champion and history-making Olympic competitor has been marked by legal battles, and mixed reactions to his parole reflect the ongoing complexities of his case.