South African former paralympian Oscar Pistorius aims to force an early release from prison

Oscar Pistorius, a convicted killer, will attempt to compel South African authorities to arrange a parole hearing for him in court. The former Paralympic gold medalist is currently serving a 13-year prison term for the 2013 murder of his fiancée. Reeva Steenkamp was fatally shot by Pistorius through a barred bathroom door, who claimed he…

Oscar Pistorius, a convicted killer, will attempt to compel South African authorities to arrange a parole hearing for him in court.

The former Paralympic gold medalist is currently serving a 13-year prison term for the 2013 murder of his fiancée.


Reeva Steenkamp was fatally shot by Pistorius through a barred bathroom door, who claimed he mistaken her for a burglar.


Due to a disagreement about the date that his sentence began, he is requesting an early release.

His sentence’s effective date has been unclear due to a slew of appeals and decisions by the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA).


According to Pistorius, he has already served enough time in jail to qualify for parole, thus officials ought to investigate the possibility of his early release.


In 2017, SCA overturned an earlier, more compassionate sentence of six years for murder and ruled that Pistorius should serve 13 years and five months in prison for the murder of Ms. Steenkamp.

The same court decided a year ago that his present sentence should be retroactive to October 2014, when he was first imprisoned for a lesser crime of culpable murder.


According to Pistorius, this backdating indicates that he was qualified for parole in February of last year.


He is requesting that the parole board be required to hold a hearing for him by the Gauteng High Court. He requests that the hearing take place within 30 days following the order granting his request if it is granted.


However, the Atteridgeville prison where he is being detained claims that the court of appeals issued conflicting decisions.


Additionally, according to the Department of Correctional Services, a court order is being sought to determine the precise start date of his sentence.


Nine years ago on Valentine’s Day, Steenkamp was assassinated, shocking the nation. Pistorius claimed that he shot his fiancée four times because he believed a burglar had broken into his Pretoria house during the televised trial, which was watched by millions of people in South Africa and around the world.


However, a panel of appellate judges said that Pistorius should have known that whomever was hiding behind the bathroom door may die after arming himself with a lethal weapon, especially considering his guns expertise. (BBC)