South African athlete Oscar Pistorius was released from prison on parole on Friday after serving nearly nine years for the shooting death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentine’s Day in 2013....For More CONTINUE THE FULL READING▶▶
Pistorius, once hailed an inspiration as a double-amputee Olympic runner competing against able-bodied athletes, was serving a 13-year sentence at Atteridgeville Correctional Center in the South African capital of Pretoria.
Little details surrounding his release were available, but the announcement from the country’s Department of Corrections came at around 8:30 a.m. local time, according to The Associated Press.
Pistorius was convicted of murder in 2015 and sentenced to 13 years and five months in prison. In South Africa, serious offenders are eligible for parole after serving at least half of their sentence.
Pistorius was granted parole on Nov. 24 under various conditions, including that he not leave the area of Pretoria, the Department of Corrections said at the time. He is set to live at his uncle’s mansion in the upscale suburb of Waterkloof, according to the AP.
He will also be required to attend a program to deal with his anger issues and will have to perform community service. His parole conditions will be in place for five years.
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Pistorius testified at his murder trial that he killed Steenkamp, 29, by mistake, thinking she was a dangerous intruder hiding in his bathroom in the middle of the night when he fired four times through the door with his licensed 9mm pistol.
Prosecutors argued that Pistorius killed her in a rage after she had fled to the toilet cubicle during a late-night argument.
Pistorius was initially convicted of culpable homicide, which is comparable to manslaughter, in her death. That conviction was overturned and he was convicted of murder after an appeal by prosecutors.
They also appealed against an initial sentence of six years for murder, and Pistorius was ultimately sentenced to 13 years and five months in prison.
