Former Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius is set to be released on parole, almost 11 years after being found guilty of the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.
Pistorius fatally shot Steenkamp multiple times through a bathroom door in 2013, claiming he mistook her for a burglar.
After a South African court sentenced him to 13 years in prison in 2016, the parole board has now slated his release for January 5, 2024.
Although not opposing bail, Steenkamp’s mother conveyed concerns about Pistorius’s lingering “anger issues” in a letter to the parole board. She voiced worries for the safety of any woman in his vicinity.
June Steenkamp opted out of attending the recent parole hearing at Atteridgeville prison, citing her inability to face Pistorius again due to immense strain, exacerbated by the passing of her husband earlier that year.
In her statement, Mrs. Steenkamp highlighted her husband’s devastation, expressing hope that Pistorius would eventually divulge the complete truth.
This recent parole hearing marked Pistorius’s second attempt in less than a year. His initial bid in March was turned down for not fulfilling the minimum detention period, a decision later acknowledged as an error by South Africa’s Constitutional Court, leading to the latest hearing.