Ten years ago, in February 2013, the planet was shocked by the crime committed by Paralympic track and field champion Oscar Pistorius, who killed his partner Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day in their Pretoria home.
The ‘Blade Runner’, as he was nicknamed, was arrested, found guilty and – after a 4-year legal battle – finally, in 2017, the Supreme Court of Appeal sentenced Pistorius to 13 years and 5 months in prison.
Accused of manslaughter, Pistorius was sentenced in 2014 at the first trial to only five years in prison
Today and at the age of 36, the Paralympic champion has served half of his sentence and the day after tomorrow Friday (31/3), the competent committee that will meet in Pretoria will decide whether he will be released with restrictive conditions, as announced by the South African Justice and the Correctional Service.
South African law provides that a convicted person may, once half of his sentence has been served, benefit from an adjustment of his sentence.
Oscar Pistorius may soon be a free man. His parole hearing gets underway on Friday. It’s been over ten years since he shot and killed his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, ​​on Valentine’s Day. He says he thought she was an intruder when he shot her through a bathroom door. #DStv403 pic.twitter.com/xGN05PicTM
— eNCA (@eNCA) March 28, 2023
Pistorius is entitled from July 2021 to be released from prison on condition and after his behavior during detention, his physical and mental state, as well as the risk of recidivism, have been thoroughly checked by the competent authorities.
If a parole request is denied, the inmate may request that their request be reconsidered.
The decision of the commission, which consists mainly of representatives of the prison services, the police and ordinary citizens, will be issued in the coming days and after relevant consultations.
“The commission must determine whether the purpose of the imprisonment has been achieved,” prison service spokesman Singabajo Nkhumalo told AFP.
The lengthy process, which began about a year ago, included a meeting last year with the victim’s parents, who said they were shocked by the idea of ​​their daughter’s killer going free.
It is worth noting that the victim’s mother, June Steenkamp, ​​will be present at the hearing on Friday, while her husband, Barry, will not be present for health reasons.
With information from APE-MPE
Source: skai.gr
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