Oscar Pistorius back at home

Paralympian Oscar Pistorius has been released from prison and is at his uncle Arnold’s home.

The Department of Correctional Services (DCS)spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo confirmed Pistorius was released on parole early on Friday from the Atteridgeville Correctional Centre in Pretoria.

“The Department of Correctional Services is able to confirm that Oscar Pistorius is a parolee, effectively from 5 January 2024. He was admitted into the system of Community Corrections and is now at home.”

The department did not divulge Pistorius’ time of release or transportation details.

Pistorius shot and killed his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in the early hours of Valentine’s Day in 2013. He opened fire on her while she was standing behind his locked bathroom door.

Excitement

The disgraced paralympian was initially found guilty of culpable homicide and sentenced to five year in prison but the conviction was changed and his sentenced increased to 13 years and five months.

Pistorius’s lawyer told The Citizen, his family is excited about him returning home.

“Oscar’s family naturally eagerly, lovingly and excitedly await his placement on parole,” adding that he could  not convey “sentiments on behalf of Oscar at this stage.”

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Safety concerns

While Oscar will be a free man on Friday, there are fears for his safety.

This comes after reports last year that the police had received information that underworld criminals may want revenge for Reeva Steenkamp’s murder.

The British Sun newspaper reported in November that the police said: “We have received information that there are people who say he deserved to pay for killing a young woman.”

Nxumalo confirmed the suspicions.

“The details of transportation plans and time of release shall not be made public. Disclosing such details may result in a security threat for the inmate and other stakeholders involved. Therefore, the department has to carefully manage that particular risk,” Nxumalo said.

“South Africa cannot afford to have any more violence connected to Pistorius and police will work very hard to ensure his safety.”

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Strict conditions

The 37-year-old Pistorius was granted parole in November, almost a year after he became eligible.

Pistorius is expected to stay with his uncle Arnold Pistorius once he is released.

While Pistorius will be effectively a free man under strict parole conditions, the Department of Correctional Services said he will be assigned a monitoring correctional services official to work with him until his sentence expires in December 2029.

Pistorius will not be allowed to give any interviews, with Nxumalo saying an elevated public profile linked to the paralympian does not make him different from other inmates nor warrant inconsistent treatment.

He will also be expected to be home at particular hours of the day. He may not consume alcohol and other prohibited substances.

Participation in other programmes that would have been identified by the CSPB will also be compulsory for him.

In October, the Steenkamp family’s lawyer Tania Koen told The Citizen the family’s view has always been that Pistorius has the same rights as any other offender.

Parole

The 37-year-old Pistorius was granted parole in November, almost a year after he became eligible.

The Correctional Supervision and Parole Board (CSPB) previously denied Pistorius’ bid for freedom in March after s bungle from the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) while calculating his minimum detention period saying he had not served the minimum amount of jail time required.

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