Ex-Paralympian sprinter Oscar Pistorius could be released from prison by the end of March

With a parole hearing due on March 31, the ex-Paralympian sprinter Oscar Pistorius could be released from prison that same day.

Ten years after murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, the jailed ex-Paralympian athlete Oscar Pistorius has a parole hearing on March 31. According to his lawyer Julian Knight, if parole is granted then his client could well be released from prison that same day, or at least a few days later.

“We have been advised by the parole board that the hearing will take place on March 31, 2023. It’s an internal process”, revealed Knight.

Pistorius was sentenced to 13 years and five months in a South African prison for shooting and killing his 29-year-old girlfriend. The incident occurred at his home in Pretoria on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2013. He fired four high-calibre bullets through a locked bathroom door. Ms Steenkamp was 29, a successful law graduate, model, and TV personality.

Nicknamed ‘Blade Runner’ due to his carbon-fibre prosthetics, the double-amputee admitted to shooting Reeva Steenkamp during his trial. In his defence, the runner claimed that he was convinced she was an intruder and that, acting in self-defence, he killed her mistakenly. His sentence for manslaughter was subsequently upgraded to one of murder.

Under South African law, convicted prisoners can apply for parole after serving more than half of their sentence. Pistorius has spent a lot longer than 50 per cent of his stipulated time behind bars. As part of the process of seeking parole – victim-offender dialogue – the runner met with Ms Steenkamp’s father, Barry last summer.

His contact with his former girlfriend’s family is thought to have been the first since his 2014 trial. Although they have no power to block his parole hearing, Barry and his wife June are known to be against Pistorius’ release and have raised objections to it. Should parole be rejected, Pistorius has the right to appeal, as reported by independent.co.uk.

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