Oscar Pistorius Granted Parole 10 Years After Murdering Reeva Steenkamp

Jesse Whittock
·1 min read
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The former Paralympian Oscar Pistorius is to be freed from jail.

Pistorius was convicted of murder after shooting his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, multiple times through a bathroom door in February 2013.

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The athlete, nicknamed ‘Blade Runner’ during his sprinting career thanks to his prosthetic legs, claimed he believed Steenkamp was a burglar and that he was acting in self-defense.

Pistorius was initially convicted of manslaughter for Steenkamp’s death and was released after serving one year of a five-year sentence. That conviction was later overturned by a South African appeals court and he was then convicted of the more serious charge of murder and handed a six-year sentence. That was increased to 13 years and five months after an appeal.

Pistorius has now been granted parole and is set to leave prison on January 5, 2024, though he will be monitored by authorities and have to attend therapy.

Pistorius was once the face of Paralympic sport, winning Gold medals in sprinting at the Athens, Beijing and London Games. He also competed as the first double-leg amputee at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games.

His story and the killing of Steenkamp have been the subject of many documentaries and podcasts. At MipTV this year, a three-parter named My Name is Reeva: I Was Murdered by Oscar Pistorius scored deals in the UK and Australia. Lifetime also produced TV movie Oscar Pistorius: Blade Runner Killer in 2017, without the participation of either Pistorius or Steenkamp’s families.

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