Who Is Oscar Pistorius? Olympian Released After 9 Years Following Murder Conviction Involving Girlfriend

Oscar Pistorius, aka “Blade Runner,” made quite a name for himself as a former track and field athlete. However, after his storied success in 2012, his career as an athlete was marred by an incident in 2013 that changed the course of his life and shocked the world. On February 14, 2013, Pistorius shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp multiple times through a closed door and claimed he mistook her for a burglar.

He was initially convicted of manslaughter but later convicted of murder, leading to a 13-year prison sentence. After serving nearly nine years in prison, the Olympian was recently released on parole. As this update piques the interest of the world, let’s find out more about the Olympian and ponder the reflections from the family of Reeva Steenkamp on his release.

Who is Oscar Pistorius?

Oscar Pistorius was born with a congenital condition that led to the absence of fibulae in both legs. As a result, his legs were amputated below the knees when he was less than a year old. Despite his disabilities, from a young age, he immersed himself in sports, particularly excelling in the Paralympic Games, where he clinched numerous gold medals across various disciplines, including the 100m, 200m, and 400m sprints.

Oscar Pistorius even successfully campaigned to compete against non-disabled athletes at the 2012 London Olympics. After a long campaign, Pistorius made history by becoming the first double-amputee to participate in the Olympic Games. However, everything changed following the 2013 Valentine’s Day incident.

According to CNN, Paralympian Oscar Pistorius has been released on parole from a South African jail nearly 11 years after murdering his girlfriend. The parole grant and subsequent release have left Reeva Steenkamp’s family reeling in sadness as they feel justice has not been fully served.

The sentiment of Reeva Steenkamp’s family post-release

On Jan 5, 2024, after serving approximately nine years of his sentence, Pistorius was released on parole, which is a type of supervised release before completing the full sentence under strict conditions under South African law. In a statement, Reeva’s mother June Steenkamp said, “There can never be justice if your loved one is never coming back, and no amount of time served will bring Reeva back. We, who remain behind, are the ones serving a life sentence.” She expressed how the loss of her daughter was still raw for her and her husband, Barry.

June Steenkamp also stated that the priority of her life right now would be to focus on the Reeva Rebecca Steenkamp Foundation to continue her daughter’s legacy. As for Oscar Pistorius, he will have certain rules to follow during his parole, like attending programs on topics such as gender-based violence and anger management, and will have to adhere to guidelines in place by the Correctional Supervision and Parole Board.

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According to the Department of Correction Services, Pistorius became eligible for parole in March 2023 in what is known as “restorative justice.” He will now fulfil the remainder of his sentence within the framework of the country’s community corrections system and is believed to serve parole at his uncle Arnold Pistorius’ home in Pretoria.

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