Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius could be released from prison this week, ten years after he killed his girlfriend in a crime that shocked the world.
The parole board decided whether Pistorius should be released early, following a hearing in Tshwane on Friday.
“The board must determine whether the purpose of the prison has been met,” said Department of Corrections spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo.
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Pistorius, now 36, fatally shot Reeva Steenkamp, a model, early on Valentine’s Day in 2013, when he fired four times through the bathroom door of his Pretoria home.
He pleaded not guilty and denied that he killed Steenkamp in anger, saying he mistook her for a thief.
Known around the world as “Blade Runner” for his carbon fiber prosthetics, he was sentenced to 13 years in prison.
Offenders in South Africa are automatically eligible for parole consideration after serving half of their sentences.
Pistorius has served more than half, since 2014.
Decision time
As part of his rehabilitation, Pistorius met Steenkamp’s parents June and Barry last year, in a process authorities said was to ensure the inmate “recognizes the harm he has caused to the victim and society in general”.
Mrs. Reeva June will attend the hearing to “make a representation to the parole board” which will include both parents’ victim impact statements, said Tania Koen, the lawyer representing the Steenkamps.
June Barry’s husband was unable to travel due to illness, Koen added.
Koen said he was not at liberty to discuss Steenkamp’s position on the acquittal of his daughter’s killer.
“They will make submissions. And then it is clear, the law will be enforced,” he said.
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The board, usually made up of corrections services and community members, will consider whether a prisoner has been rehabilitated or is still a danger to society, said Kelly Phelps, a law professor at the University of Cape Town.
This will take into account the seriousness of the offense as well as Pistorius’ behavior behind bars, including whether he participated in education and life skills programs.
Possible conditions
Release on parole usually comes with some conditions, such as supervision from the authorities and the duty to report to a community corrections center.
“It is very common to have things like restrictions on alcohol, restrictions on the ability to own firearms … and require participation in counseling,” said Phelps.
Day parole, where prisoners return to prison at night, and community service are also on the cards, said Nxumalo of the correctional service.
A year before Steenkamp’s murder, Pistorius became the first double amputee to race in the Olympics at the 2012 London games.
He went on to become a sporting icon admired around the world and loved by sponsors.
But his achievements crumbled after the murder, with his character and past scrutinized in a trial that made headlines around the world.
He was initially sentenced to six years in prison, but that term was extended to 13 after the state appealed that it was indecent.
The parole decision is usually known on the same day of the hearing or a day later, but Nxumalo hinted that in the case of Pistorius “the decision may not be taken on the same day”.
If denied, the offender has the right to approach the court for review.
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