CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Oscar Pistorius could be eligible for parole Friday after spending nearly 10 years in prison in South Africa for murder.
The double-amputee Olympic runner was one of the world’s most admired athletes before he killed his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day 2013 by shooting her multiple times through a toilet door in his home.
Pistorius, who turned 37 this week, was sent to prison in late 2014. He was given a second chance at parole within eight months after being wrongly ineligible for early release at an initial hearing in March. The reason for this was an error by an appeals court regarding the official start of the sentence.
Pistorius was initially convicted of involuntary manslaughter – a charge similar to manslaughter – for killing Reeva Steenkamp. This verdict was overturned and he was convicted of murder after an appeal by the prosecution. They also appealed an initial sentence of six years for murder, and Pistorius was ultimately sentenced to 13 years and five months in prison.
Serious offenders in South Africa must serve at least half of their sentence to be eligible for parole, which is what Pistorius did.
“All I can say is that the programs that were included in his correctional plan have all been completed,” Department of Corrections spokesman Singabakho Nxumalo told reporters on Friday ahead of the hearing scheduled to take place at Pretoria Prison. in which Pistorius sits. “Now it’s up to the parole board.”
Pistorius testified at his murder trial that he accidentally killed Steenkamp because he thought she was a dangerous intruder who was hiding in his bathroom in the middle of the night when he shot through the door four times with his licensed 9mm pistol lap. Prosecutors argued that Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model and reality TV star, fled into the bathroom stall during a late-night argument and Pistorius killed her in anger.
Pistorius was ultimately convicted of murder based on the legal principle “dolus eventualis,” meaning he acted extremely recklessly and should have known that whoever was behind the door was likely to be killed. It is comparable to third degree murder.
South African parole authorities consider a variety of factors, including the offender’s behavior in prison, his or her mental health and any risks his or her release poses to the community. Different versions of probation are also available to you. Pistorius could be released on full or day parole, where he can live and work in the community but must return to prison at night.
The Department of Corrections has said that if Pistorius is granted parole, he may not be released immediately and that it is up to the parole board to “determine the date of placement.”
If released, he is expected to live in his uncle’s luxurious villa in an affluent suburb of Pretoria, where he stayed during his murder trial.
Pistorius was initially taken to Pretoria Central Prison, a notorious apartheid-era prison. He was transferred to the city’s Atteridgeville Correctional Center in 2016.
Insights into Pistorius’s life behind bars have only been sporadic over the past decade. His father said he held Bible classes for fellow inmates, although there were also troubles, including an argument Pistorius had with another inmate over a prison phone that led to him needing medical attention.
Steenkamp’s murder came when Pistorius was at the height of his fame and just months after he became the first double amputee to compete in the Olympics. He was also a multiple Paralympic sprint champion and one of the sport’s most marketable figures, having survived the amputation of both legs below the knee as a baby in order to run on specially designed carbon fiber wheels.
In his high-profile trial, prosecutors argued that there was another side to Pistorius’ life, one involving guns and angry arguments with others. Pistorius was also found guilty on a second count of recklessly firing a gun in a restaurant.
Steenkamp’s mother, June Steenkamp, will not oppose Pistorius’ parole, her lawyer said in a message to The Associated Press. Steenkamp’s father, Barry Steenkamp, died in September and the mother’s decision not to oppose early release is an apparent softening of the family’s position.
Steenkamp’s parents gave an interview to a British newspaper in February to mark the 10th anniversary of their daughter’s death, saying they had not forgiven Pistorius, still believed he had deliberately shot them in anger and wanted him to remain in prison for the rest of his life .
June Steenkamp attended Pistorius’s first parole hearing in March to speak out against Pistorius’ release, but will not attend Friday, her lawyer Tania Koen said. Rob Matthews, a South African whose 21-year-old daughter was murdered in 2004, will represent June Steenkamp at the parole hearing and read a victim impact statement on her behalf after becoming a friend of the Steenkamp family, Koen said.
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