FORMER Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius will be released on January 5th, authorities have said after his latest parole hearing.
The South African Depart of Correctional Services confirmed that Pistorius will be granted parole after a hearing today, releasing him from prison nearly 11 years after murdering girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
He was jailed initially for culpable homicide for shooting and killing Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day 2013, but the supreme court of appeal later changed his charge to murder after prosecutors appealed the first decision.
His sentence was changed from an original five years of prison to 13 years and five months in 2017.
But with Pistorius being in prison since 2014, the constitutional court confirmed in October that the athlete could appeal for parole as half of his sentence had passed by March this year.
He will attend mandatory therapy sessions according to the Steenkamp family.
This was Pistorius’ second parole appeal of the year after being denied in March. The Paralympian won six gold medals and even competed against non-disabled athletes at the London 2012 Olympics, winning himself the nickname “The Blade Runner.”
