Paralympic gold medalist Oscar Pistorius will be released from prison next week to serve the remainder of his five-year sentence for manslaughter under house arrest.
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Pistorius shot the model and law school graduate on Valentine’s Day 2013. It’s not a good example at all, ” she said.
In a statement Thursday, the parole board said it had approved his placement under correctional supervision for four years.
He will now spend the rest of his sentence under house arrest.
The corrections department said the parole board made the decision after receiving a submission from Steenkamp’s family.
“The Parole Board has also given the offender his correctional supervision conditions which include the directives of the Parole Review Board in respect of continued psychotherapy and prohibitions in line with the Fire Arms Control Act”. She said they stood by the representations they made in June, when it was decided that he would be released on August 21.
The spokeswoman for Pistorius’ family, Anneliese Burgess, said in a text message that they had been informed of the decision to release Pistorius but would not be commenting further. “They are not surprised at all by this announcement”.
The 28-year-old, who was earlier sentenced to a five-year jail in 2014, will be put under house arrest following his release from the jail.
A parole review board then sent Pistorius’ case back to the same prison officials to reconsider.
While there is speculation that Pistorius will serve his house arrest at his wealthy Uncle Arnold’s house – a mansion in a posh Pretoria suburb – there is a possibility the athlete will ask to serve his sentence in a different location, away from the glare of the media.
Reeva Steenkamp’s parents have spoken out and said that they believe Pistorius deliberately murdered their daughter and have consistently opposed parole.
The double-amputee rose to global fame after competing for South Africa at both the Olympics and Paralympics in London in 2012.
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Steenkamp was found shot to death in his home, and he acknowledged firing the fatal shots through his bathroom door. But the judge said he did not commit murder nor did he intend to kill her.
