Paralympian and convicted killer Oscar Pistorius qualifies to be released on parole

Former Paralympic champion and convicted killer Oscar Pistorius is technically available for parole after South Africa’s Constitutional Court determined he has served over half of his sentence, BBC reported.

Pistorius, 36, was convicted of the 2013 murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp and initially sentenced to five years in prison. But in 2015, he was found guilty of murder on appeal, and the sentence was later increased to 13 years and five months. 

Pistorius became technically eligible for parole after the Constitutional Court on Monday ruled that he had served half of his sentence as of March 21 this year. The double-amputee athlete also known as “The Blade Runner” initially appeared before a parole board in March last year, but authorities ultimately determined he wasn’t eligible because he had not served half of his sentence. 

The issues with regard to Pistorius’ parole eligibility is because his time in prison has featured events including appeals and his time under house arrest, BBC reported. The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) in a statement said it will review the ruling by the Constitutional Court.

Pistorius is said to have fatally shot Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day in 2013 when he fired four times through the door of his bedroom toilet. But the paralympic champion has insisted that he shot his girlfriend through the bathroom door thinking she was an intruder.

Before the murder, Pistorius was admired by many after he made history in 2012 as the first amputee sprinter to compete at the Olympics running on prosthetic “blades”. Born without fibula bones, his legs were amputated below the knee when he was 11 months old.