Oscar Pistorius to celebrate last Christmas behind bars

The 37-year-old appeared before the Correctional Supervision and Parole Board at the Atteridgeville Correctional Facility on Friday morning.

Pistorius murdered Reeva Steenkamp in the early hours of Valentine's Day 2013, firing four times through the bathroom door of his house in a security state in the east of Pretoria.

He was dating Steenkamp at the time of the killing.

Pistorius pleaded not guilty and denied killing Steenkamp in a rage, saying he mistook her for a burglar.

It was his second attempt at parole in less than eight months.

He lost a first bid in March 2023 when the board found he had not completed the minimum detention period required to be let out. 

The Constitutional Court last month ruled that was a mistake, paving the way for a new hearing.

Correctional Services spokesperson  Singabakho Nxumalo says the parole placement decision was taken by the Correctional Supervision and Parole Board

 having assessed his profile and other material submitted for consideration.

"Classified as a first-time offender with a positive support system, Oscar Pistorius’ parole placement is in line with Section 73 of the Correctional Services Act. 

Parole placement forms part of the total rehabilitation programme in correcting offending behavior and may include the continuation of programmes aimed at reintegration whilst in the system of community corrections.

Mr Pistorius will complete the remainder of the sentence in the system of community corrections and will be subjected to supervision in compliance with parole conditions until his sentence expires," he said.

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