Oscar Pistorius to be released from prison next week

Oscar Pistorius will be released from jail next week after serving 10 months of his five-year sentence for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. While the former athlete did not apply for early release himself, the parole board at Kgosi Mampuru II prison in Pretoria South Africa, where he is being held, has recommended he be released into the community.

After a trial which gripped the world’s attention and found him guilty of culpable homicide, Pistorius’s time in prison has itself not been without controversy.

But in June, the South African correction services confirmed he would serve the minimum of a sixth of his five-year sentence behind bars.

“He’s behaving himself very well,” said Zach Modise, the services’ national commissioner.

He would not be expected to attend the appeal hearing, in which five judges will be asked to decide whether Judge Thokozile Masipa correctly interpreted the law when she found Pistorius not guilty of murder.

She made her decision despite the athlete having fired four times through a locked toilet door into a tiny cubicle which, having heard the door slam shut, he knew was occupied.

Whether he will remain free, however, is another matter. His case remains subject to a Supreme Court appeal hearing in November, when prosecutors will argue that his conviction should be scaled up to murder — and a minimum 15-year jail term.

It has been reported that Pistorius will live under effective house arrest at his uncle Arnold’s home in Waterkloof, Pretoria. He may be required to do community service, take part in regular mental health checks and refrain from drinking alcohol.

As part of his initial supervision, Pistorius’s travel will be severely restricted. At the time of Pistorius’s parole hearing, Ms Steenkamp’s parents, June and Barry Steenkamp, condemned the decision to release the athlete so early in his sentence.

In a strongly worded letter, which officials said had been taken into consideration, they said: “We do not seek to avenge her death and we do not want Mr Pistorius to suffer; that will not bring her back to us.

“However, a person found guilty of a crime must be held accountable for their actions.”