Who is Oscar Pistorius? From ‘blade runner’ to convicted murderer
The trial of “blade runner” Oscar Pistorius gripped the world in 2014 when he was convicted of murdering girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
Pistorius has served at least half his sentence and in November faced a second chance at parole after he was ruled ineligible last March.
It was decided the 37-year-old could be released, nearly 11 years after murdering Ms Steenkamp in what he said was a case of mistaken identity.
On 5 January, he left prison.
The parole will last from January 2024 until December 2029 and he will be subject to conditions.
Pistorius must attend therapy for anger issues and “gender-based violence issues”, and he will do community service.
He’s expected to spend the period at his uncle’s mansion in a wealthy suburb – the same place he stayed during the trial.
Who is Oscar Pistorius?
Oscar Pistorius is a former Olympic and Paralympic athlete – and a convicted murderer.
He was born in South Africa in 1986. At 11 months old, both his legs were amputated below the knee because of a congenital defect.
He ran on prosthetic blades – hence the nickname ‘blade runner’.
Until 2013, he was mostly known for his sporting prowess, winning gold at the Paralympics and making history as the first double amputee to compete in the Olympics.
Then, on the morning of 14 February 2013, Pistorius shot and killed his girlfriend at his home in Pretoria, South Africa.
The murder of Reeva Steenkamp
Ms Steenkamp, 29, was shot dead by Pistorius while she was in the toilet.
Pistorius has always insisted the shooting was a mistake, saying he thought an intruder was in the house and he feared for his safety.
He fired four shots through a locked toilet door, hitting Ms Steenkamp in the head, hip and arm.
Pistorius claimed in court it was only when he battered down the door with a cricket bat that he realised who was behind it.
The prosecution argued the murder was premeditated and Pistorius shot her after an argument.
Part of their case rested on saying Pistorius was wearing his prosthetic legs at the time of the shooting – they said the time taken to put them on was evidence of premeditation.
Pistorius testified he was on his stumps, a claim backed up by a ballistic expert’s analysis.
Changing charges and sentences
Pistorius was initially not found guilty of murder and was instead convicted of culpable homicide (equivalent to manslaughter in the UK).
He was sentenced to five years in 2014, and was eventually released from prison and placed under house arrest.
In 2015 that conviction was overturned when South Africa’s supreme court of appeal found him guilty of murder.
He was sentenced to six years in prison – which was then increased to 13 years and five months in 2017 after the sentence was deemed “shockingly too lenient” in an appeal.
Parole hearings
Pistorius is being released early after serving at least half his jail sentence of 13 years and five months.
In South Africa, prisoners become eligible for parole after serving half their term.
The parole board considered his case again in November 2023 after denying him parole in March.
The decision to give him a second hearing came after his lawyer took his case to the constitutional court over errors made calculating when Pistorius would be eligible for parole.
He was initially told he would only be eligible in August 2024, when he was in fact eligible in March.
Granting a second hearing was seen as effectively an admission of the appeal court’s error.
The parole board takes a number of factors into account, including the prisoner’s conduct and disciplinary record in prison, their mental health and the likelihood of them committing another crime.
Last year he met with Ms Steenkamp’s father as part of a process called victim-offender dialogue, which gives crime victims the chance to meet with offenders before they become eligible for parole.
Speaking ahead of the first parole hearing, Ms Steenkamp’s mother said he was “not remorseful”.