PARALYMPIAN Oscar Pistorius has been freed on parole from a South African jail, nearly 11 years after murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
Officials confirmed Pistorius was “at home” on Saturday morning, having served half of his more than 13-year sentence.
Ms Steenkamp’s mother said she accepted the decision to release the former athlete – but added her family was the one “serving a life sentence”.
In 2012, Pistorius became the first double amputee to run in the Olympics.
Just six months later, he shot Ms Steenkamp multiple times through a toilet door in his house. The shooting and subsequent trials gripped South Africa and the world.
Pistorius, now 37, later claimed he had mistaken her for a burglar during the night.
Pistorius was eventually convicted of murder in 2015 after an appeal court overturned an earlier verdict of culpable homicide – or manslaughter.
Under South African law, all offenders are entitled to be considered for parole, meaning early release under certain conditions, once they have served half their total sentence, which for Pistorius was finally set at 13 years and five months.
Until his sentence expires in 2029, he will live under strict rules – confining him to the home for certain hours of the day, as well as banning him from drinking alcohol. He is also not permitted to speak to the media.
In addition, Pistorius will be required to have therapy to help deal with issues around gender-based violence and anger.
He is believed to have gone to live at the home of his uncle Arnold Pistorius in an upmarket suburb of the capital, Pretoria.
While in prison, Pistorius drove a tractor in the grounds, worked in the library and cleaned inmates’ cells, according to legal documents cited by South African journalist Karyn Maughan.
