Paralympic runner Oscar Pistorius was granted parole Friday and will be released on parole January 5 2024 after 10 years in prison for killing his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. Pistorius shot Steenkamp through the bathroom door at their apartment in South Africa on February 14 2013. The national parole board reached the decision to release the double amputee gold medal winner after considering his conduct in prison, such as disciplinary record, mental and physical state and participation in education and training, as well as the likelihood he might relapse. While in prison, Pistorius became a spiritual leader among his fellow inmates and led a regular Bible study, reported the Daily Mail. South Africa's National Department of Correctional Services said in a statement, “having assessed Mr. Pistorius' profile and other material submitted for the purposes of parole consideration,” deeming Pistorius ready for parole and noting he is a “first time offender with a positive support system.”Due to these factors, the 37-year-old 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.”The athlete will complete the rest of his sentence on the property of Arno Pistorius, his uncle, who has property in Pretoria. Terms of parole in South Africa may include an ankle bracelet and a ban on media interviews in exchange for money. A representative from the Steenkamp family wrote a statement on behalf of June Steenkamp, Reeva’s mother. “Rehabilitation requires someone to engage honestly, with the full truth of his crime and the consequences thereof,” the statement reads. “Nobody can claim to have remorse if they're not able to engage fully with the truth."
