A South African parole board has approved the placement under
house arrest and correctional supervision for four years of Oscar
Pistorius.
Pistorius was sentenced to five years in jail by a South African
judge for killing his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s
day in 2013.
He was sentenced for culpable homicide but he said he mistook her for
an intruder when he shot her through a bathroom door in a home they
shared together.
Oscar Pistorius and Reeva Steenkamp
A lawyer for the Steenkamp family Tania Koen claimed the family knew his release was drawing nearer.
CNN quotes him saying: “Nothing has changed for June and Barry, nothing will bring Reeva back. They are not surprised at all by this announcement. They expected this.”
According to South Africa’s correctional services act convicted criminals who have served at least one-sixth of their sentence are allowed to serve the remainder to their jail term under house arrest.
Pistorius was found not guilty of Steenkamp’s death though he was seen as “negligent”. Prosecutors ave appealed the new ruling and claim the blade runner is guilty of the crimes.
The paraolympian represented his country in the Paralympic Games and the 2012 London Olympics.
