Oscar Pistorius released on parole
Top athlete Oscar Pistorius is at the zenith of his career in 2013. Then he shoots his girlfriend. He spends years behind bars. Now he is released.
Former top athlete Oscar Pistorius is to be released on parole. This was announced by the South African Prison Service. Pistorius, who was convicted of manslaughter, is to be released from prison on January 5.
Pistorius killed his then girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp with four shots through the toilet door of his villa on the night of Valentine's Day 2013. The proceedings against the former sprint star dragged on for years and went through several instances. Pistorius testified at the time that he fired several times because he feared a burglar behind the door. But the evidence was against him.
The now 37-year-old has served around half of his sentence of 13 years and five months. According to South African law, he is therefore automatically entitled to a parole hearing. A parole hearing had already taken place in March. This was initially rejected with reference to a "bureaucratic error". In October, however, South Africa's Constitutional Court ruled that a mistake had been made. The hearing on Friday was therefore the rescheduled, legitimate date.
Pistorius won six gold medals at the 2012 Paralympic Games on specially made carbon prostheses. He once had his legs amputated below the knees as a child due to a genetic defect.
The Paralympic champion, Oscar Pistorius, was convicted of the manslaughter of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. Despite serving only half of his 13-year sentence for this murder and manslaughter case, Pistorius, now 37, was granted parole.
Source: www.ntv.de
