"Blade Runner" Oscar Pistorius fights for his freedom
Oscar Pistorius is the big star of the para scene in the early 2010s. He is the "Fastest Man with no legs". He won a total of six gold medals at three Paralympics. In 2013, he murdered his girlfriend. In an eternal trial, he receives 15 years in prison. Now he could be released on parole.
Ten years ago, Paralympics winner Oscar Pistorius shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp and was later convicted of murder, but now the South African could be released from prison. Today, the parole board in his home country will decide whether the 37-year-old will be allowed to leave prison in Atteridgeville on parole. His sentence does not actually end until 2031.
"Blade Runner" Pistorius, a former sprint star, failed with an initial application in March. At the time, the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) was of the opinion that he had not yet reached the required minimum term of imprisonment. Prisoners in South Africa are automatically entitled to a parole review after serving half of their sentence.
Sentence not finalized until 2017
The Constitutional Court disagreed with the DCS assessment last month and ruled that the crediting of prison time must begin with the date on which an inmate was put behind bars in the first instance. This was the case for Pistorius in 2014.
The six-time Paralympic gold medalist and six-time world champion had killed Steenkamp on Valentine's Day 2013 when he shot four times through the closed bathroom door of his home in Pretoria. Pistorius claimed that he had mistaken Steenkamp for a burglar. In the course of the trial, the public prosecutor accused him of having a motive of "personal revenge".
Pistorius, a bilateral transtibial amputee, was initially convicted of involuntary manslaughter (sentenced to five years in prison) and, following an appeal, finally convicted of murder. In 2017, a sentence of 13 years and five months was handed down, but a subsequent appeal to South Africa's highest court failed. After that, there were no more legal options.
In light of his parole review, South Africa's Paralympics champion Oscar Pistorius, who was convicted of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in 2013, may now be released from prison. This potential release comes nearly a decade after Pistorius, known as the "Fastest Man with no legs," shot Steenkamp in his home in Pretoria.
Source: www.ntv.de
