Oscar Pistorius, 36, is one of the most successful Paralympians of all time and made history when in the London 2012 Olympics he became the first double amputee to compete in a regular Olympics where he reached the semi-finals. The “Blade Runner”, as he was called, had heavy sponsorship contracts and ran on his famous metal rails after he had both legs amputated for medical reasons at the age of 11 months.
Everything changed overnight after Valentine’s Day in February 2013, when he shot dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, 29, at home in the South African capital, Pretoria. What followed was one of the most high-profile trials in history. The question was never whether he killed Steenkamp, but whether he knew that she was the one in the toilet of the home when he fired the shots that night.
Photo: Erik Esbjörnsson
Pistorius claimed he believed a burglar was in the home, and said during the hearing that his disability made him vulnerable and worried for his safety. Prosecutor Gerrie Nel argued that Pistorius knew full well who he was shooting at. And during the trial it emerged that Pistorius had shown aggressive behavior on several previous occasions and had fired his gun both through the sunroof of his car and during a visit to a restaurant.
Pistorius was sentenced in 2014 to five years imprisonment for “culpable homicide”, which in South African legislation lies between murder and aggravated manslaughter. But after appeals, the classification was increased to murder, and the sentence was adjusted up to 13 years in prison in addition to the time he had already spent in custody.
Photo: Erik Esbjörnsson
On Friday he may leave prison, in line with South African practice which allows parole after serving half of the sentence. A panel in Pretoria will decide whether he can be considered rehabilitated and whether he still poses a threat to society.
Last year, Pistorius met Reeva Steenkamp’s parents as part of the reconciliation process. He was already trying to be paroled, but there was confusion about how long he had actually been locked up since the case began.
Steenkamp’s mother June will attend the panel’s hearing on Friday to show how the family has been affected by the crime. How the family reacts to a conditional release is not known.
– They will give their submissions and then the law will take its course, says the family’s lawyer Tania Koen, enligt Eyewitness News.
Should Pistorius get his application approved can he be free already on Friday. But a decision could also take a few days and the panel could consider a range of restrictions that come with a release.
When Pistorius was arrested, he was good for at least SEK 50 million, but the many lucks in court a couple of years later had ruined him, according to his lawyer. Should he be released, a regular nine-to-five job awaits. That’s what his uncle Arnold Pistorius says who runs a real estate company that is expected to be the employer.
Read more: From national icon to convicted of murder
