APA-Pretoria (South Africa) Convicted killer and former Paralympian Oscar Pistorius was freed on conditional parole on Friday from his Pretoria prison after serving half of his 13 years and five months sentence obtained in 2017, the Ministry of Correctional Services has confirmed.
Pistorius, aged 37, and nicknamed the “Blade Runner”, was convicted of shooting to death his lawyer-model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day 2013 at his home in Pretoria.
He testified that he mistook her for a burglar when he shot into a bathroom door four times, killing her instantly.
Initially sentenced to six years by a High Court for the murder of Steenkamp, the state prosecution appealed the sentence and Pistorius was given the longer sentence by the Supreme Court of Appeal in 2017.
“Pistorius shall be admitted into the system of Community Corrections and will be monitored until the expiry date of his sentence in 2029,” the ministry said in a statement.
Among the parole conditions were that the convict would have to undergo an anger management training, and should not take alcohol and other prohibited substances, the ministry said.
In addition, participation in other programmes identified by the Correctional Supervision and Parole Board would also be compulsory for Pistorius, the office said.
“He will be expected to be home at particular hours of the day. And just like other parolees, Pistorius is restricted from conducting media interviews,” the ministry said.
NM/jn/APA