Paralympian Oscar Pistorius could possibly be released from jail “within weeks” following serving half of his sentence.
“Oscar Pistorius could be released on parole within a month,” says his lawyer on Thursday.
A parole board will reportedly consider Pistorius’ appeal on March 31, years after he fatally shot his girlfriend on Valentine’s day.
On the other hand, the victim’s parents, who oppose the idea of their daughter’s killer’s release, have their hands tied as criminals become legally eligible for parole following serving half of their sentence.
The 36-year-old offender initially claimed that Reeva Steenkamp was an ‘intruder’; however, he was eventually convicted of the murder and was announced with 13 years and 5 months of the sentence.
The parole news came after it was revealed that Pistorius would be provided 24/7 security protection upon release to minimize the chances of retaliation attacks.
During an interview with The Times, Pistorius’ father, Henke, stated that his son, who has a greater chance of release, has become a ‘spiritual leader behind the bar.’ Henke added that he even included a violent gang leader in his prayer group.
‘I have no doubt that Oscar has changed the environment in the prison for the better,’ said the father.
‘He is helping to mediate between people and is having a positive influence. He can feel he is making a difference to others who really needed a difference to be made — to give their lives meaning, purpose and some hope.
‘As a result, things have also improved for him. It’s a wonderful story.’
Meanwhile, on their daughter’s tenth death anniversary, Ms. Steenkamp’s parents wish to see their daughter’s killer rot in prison for life.
Originally, the couple forgave Pistorius for murdering their daughter. However, they changed their mind when it was revealed that he killed her out of anger.
Barry, Ms. Steenkamp’s father said, ‘I told Oscar directly that he had shot my daughter deliberately and he denied it. He stuck to his story that he thought it was an intruder.
‘After all these years we are still waiting for him to admit he did it in anger. That is all we wanted.
‘If he told me the truth, he would have been a free man by now and I would have let the law take its course over his parole.
‘But I was wasting my time. He is a murderer. He should remain in jail.’
