Oscar Pistorius May Soon Regain Freedom in South Africa

Oscar Pistorius, the former South African Paralympic champion convicted of murdering his girlfriend in 2013, could potentially be released immediately if granted parole at a hearing scheduled for Friday.

His legal team, led by lawyer Conrad Dormehl, are optimistic that Pistorius might be home in time for Christmas, depending on the outcome of the parole board meeting at the correctional centre outside Pretoria where he is currently detained.

Pistorius’s initial bid for parole was denied in March, as it was determined that he had not completed the required minimum detention period.

However, a recent Constitutional Court ruling correcting a miscalculation in his detention period, has opened the door for a new parole hearing.

While legal experts typically have a “one-month policy” for parole release, allowing for a 30-day pre-release programme, the unique circumstances surrounding Pistorius’s case could speed up his release.

Pistorius’s conviction for the murder of his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentine’s Day in 2013, got global attention.

37-year-old Pistorius, known as the “Blade Runner” for his carbon-fibre prosthetics, claimed he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder, a defence that was contested throughout his trial and subsequent appeals.

Prior to the incident, Pistorius had achieved international fame as the first double-amputee to compete in the Olympics, and participate in the 2012 London Games.