Former Paralympic champion, Oscar Pistorius, is set to be released on parole, almost 11 years after being convicted of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
The tragic incident occurred on Valentine’s Day in 2013 when he fatally shot her through a bathroom door, claiming he mistook her for an intruder at their Pretoria home.
Following a 2016 sentencing by a South African court to serve 13 years and five months in prison, the parole board has scheduled Pistorius’s release for January 5, 2024.
Upon release, he will be under authorities’ monitoring until his sentence officially concludes, similar to other parolees.
Additionally, he is mandated to attend therapy sessions as stipulated by the Steenkamp family’s spokesperson.
During the recent parole hearing at Atteridgeville prison near Pretoria, Ms. Steenkamp’s mother conveyed in a letter to the board her lack of opposition to Pistorius’s release but raised concerns about his unresolved “huge anger issues” while incarcerated.
She expressed worry for the safety of any woman coming into contact with him.
June Steenkamp, Reeva’s mother, opted not to attend the hearing, citing an inability to muster the emotional strength to face Pistorius again.
She highlighted the immense strain they both endured, especially after the passing of her husband and Reeva’s father, Barry, earlier this year.
“My dear Barry left this world utterly devastated by the thought that he had failed to protect his daughter… I’ve no doubt that he died of a broken heart,” Mrs Steenkamp’s statement read.
