Oscar Pistorius, the former South African Olympic runner, was granted parole on Friday and was declared “at home” by the authorities, nearly 11 years after he killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in a widely publicized crime.
The 37-year-old double amputee, who had completed more than half of his sentence, was discreetly taken from the Atteridgeville prison, which is located outside of the capital Pretoria, while dodging the throngs of media that had gathered outside.
“He was admitted into the system of Community Corrections and is now at home,” the department of correctional services said in a statement.
As a condition of his parole, Pistorius—who is referred to as “Blade Runner” worldwide—will not be permitted to speak to the media.
The press had previously been informed by prison officials that they would not be allowed to take his picture or interact with him.
In the wee hours of Valentine’s Day 2013, Pistorius shot and killed 29-year-old Steenkamp, a model, by firing four times through the bathroom door of his highly guarded Pretoria home.
The shooting occurred one year after Pistorius made history at the London 2012 Olympics by becoming the first double amputee to compete in an Olympic race.
After an extended trial and multiple appeals, he was convicted guilty of murder in 2017 and sentenced to 13 years in prison.
He had entered a not guilty plea, denied killing Steenkamp, and claimed he had mistaken her for a break-in victim.
Therapy Required
The morning ahead of his release, Steenkamp’s mother June issued a statement saying that while she accepted the decision of the justice system and conditions of his parole, “the pain is still raw and real”.
“There can never be justice if your loved one is never coming back, and no amount of time served will bring Reeva back,” she said.
“We, who remain behind, are the ones serving a life sentence.”
After serving half of their sentence, offenders in South Africa are automatically eligible for parole consideration.
When the board discovered that Pistorius had not served the minimum amount of time in custody before being released, Pistorius lost his initial bid in March.
That was an error, the Constitutional Court declared in October, opening the door for a hearing in November that authorized his release.
Pistorius is required to attend anger management and gender-based violence treatment sessions as part of his parole, which runs until the end of his term in 2029.
He will also be banned from consuming alcohol and other substances, required to complete community service and also be home at certain hours of the day.
The conditions “send out a clear message that gender based violence is taken seriously” by the country’s justice system, June Steenkamp said Friday.