Oscar Pistorius could be granted parole on Friday after spending almost 10 years in prison in South Africa for murder.
The two-piece Olympic runner was one of the world’s most admired athletes before he killed his girlfriend by shooting her multiple times through the toilet door at his home on Valentine’s Day 2013.
Pistorius, who turns 37 this week, was sent to prison in late 2014.
He has been given a second chance at parole in eight months after he was wrongly ruled ineligible for early release at a first hearing in March.
That was due to an error made by the appeals court when the sentence officially began.
Pistorius was initially convicted of culpable homicide – a charge comparable to manslaughter – for killing Reeva Steenkamp.
Oscar Pistorius could be granted parole after spending almost 10 years in prison. AFP via Getty Images
The conviction was overturned and he was convicted of murder after an appeal by prosecutors.
They also appealed against the initial sentence of six years for murder, and Pistorius was eventually sentenced to 13 years and five months in prison.
Serious offenders in South Africa must serve at least half of their sentences to be eligible for parole, which Pistorius has done.
This Nov. 4, 2012 photo shows Oscar Pistorius and girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at an awards ceremony in Johannesburg, South Africa. AP
“What I can say is that the programs contained in his correctional sentencing plan have all been completed,” Department of Corrections spokesman Singabakho Nxumalo told reporters on Friday ahead of the trial, which will take place at the Pretoria prison where Pistorius is being held. held “Now it’s up to the parole board.”
Pistorius testified at his murder trial that he killed Steenkamp by accident, mistaking him for a dangerous intruder hiding in his bathroom in the middle of the night when he fired four shots through the door with his licensed 9mm pistol.
Prosecutors argued that Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model and reality TV star, had fled to the bathroom during a late-night argument and Pistorius killed her in a fit of rage.
Rob Matthews (right), spokesman for June Steenkamp, Reeva Steenkamp’s mother, speaks to the media at Atteridgeville Correctional Center in Pretoria on November 24, 2023. AFP via Getty Images
Pistorius was eventually convicted of manslaughter on the legal principle known as dolus eventualis, which means he acted with extreme recklessness and should have known that whoever was behind the door was likely to be killed. It is comparable to third degree murder.
South Africa’s parole board takes into account a range of factors, including the offender’s behavior in prison, their mental health and any risk posed to society by their release.
They also have various versions of parole available to them.
Pistorius can 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 if Pistorius is granted parole, he may not be released immediately and it is up to the parole board “to determine a placement date.”
If released, he is expected to live in his uncle’s luxury home in the wealthy suburb of Pretoria, where he lived during his murder trial.
Oscar Pistorius is escorted by police officers as he arrives to be sentenced for the 2013 murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, South Africa July 6, 2016. REUTERS
Pistorius was initially sent to Pretoria Central Prison, a notorious apartheid-era prison. He was transferred to the city’s Atteridgeville Correctional Center in 2016.
There have been only occasional glimpses of Pistorius’ life behind bars over the past decade. His father said he has held bible classes for fellow inmates, although there have also been problems, including an argument Pistorius had with another inmate on the prison phone that left him in need of medical attention.
Steenkamp’s killing came when Pistorius was at the height of his fame and just months after he became the first amputee to compete at the Olympics.
Oscar Pistorius speaks to relatives as he leaves the High Court in Pretoria, on July 6, 2016 after being sentenced for murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp three years ago. POOL/AFP via Getty Images
He is also a double Paralympic sprint champion and one of the sport’s most marketable figures, having overcome the amputation of both his legs below the knee as a baby to run on specially designed carbon fiber blades.
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At his sensational trial, prosecutors argued there was another side to Pistorius’ life that involved guns and angry confrontations with others.
Pistorius was also found guilty of a second charge of recklessly discharging a gun in a restaurant.
Steenkamp’s mother, June Steenkamp, will not oppose Pistorius’ parole, his lawyer said in a message to The Associated Press.
Steenkamp’s father, Barry Steenkamp, died in September and his mother’s decision not to oppose an early release has clearly softened the family’s position.
Steenkamp’s parents gave interviews to the British press in February for the 10th anniversary of their daughter’s death and said they had not forgiven Pistorius, still believed he shot her deliberately out of anger and wanted him to remain in prison for the rest of his life.
June Steenkamp attended Pistorius’ first parole hearing in March to oppose Pistorius’ release but will not be present on Friday, his lawyer Tania Koen said.
Rob Matthews, a South African man 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 Steenkamp’s family, Koen said.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
