ANCWL disappointed Oscar Pistorius will be released
The ANC Women's League (ANCWL) on Friday said it was disappointed that the Correctional Supervision and Parole Board had decided to let Oscar Pistorius out of jail and place him under house arrest.
The ANCWL said in a statement that it was voicing “its disappointment on the outcome of the Correctional Supervision and Parole Board of approving the placement of offender Oscar Pistorius under correctional supervision as from Tuesday”.
However, the ANCWL said it respected the processes that “ensured equality for all regardless of popularity, having money, being a man or woman”.
While commending Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Michael Masutha for ensuring that the parole processes were followed properly, the ANCWL also called for harsher penalties for violations against women.
The state is appealing Pistorius’s conviction on culpable homicide for fatally shooting his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day in 2013. The state wants Pistorius to be convicted on Murder, which carries a much stiffer sentence.
“A life has been lost and as women’s league we always associate ourselves with the victims. Our heart is with the Steenkamp family,and pin our hopes on the Supreme Court of Appeal in November,” said the women’s league in a statement issued by Thoko Xasa, the national spokesperson.
“We want harsher sentences imposed on perpetrators of violence against women and children – legislation therefore needs be reviewed.” - ANA
(File photo: Gallo Images)