A new year, new start and freedom for Oscar Pistorius in 2024

With just hours left before 2023 ends and South Africans preparing to welcome a new year, convicted murderer Oscar Pistorius will also be looking forward to a fresh new start in 2024.

Pistorius was granted parole in November.

The Correctional Supervision and Parole Board (CSPB) convened to consider him for early release and announced his parole effective 5 January 2024.

The Pretoria High Court in 2014 found Oscar Pistorius guilty of culpable homicide after he shot and killed his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, in the early hours of Valentine’s Day 2013, opening fire on her while she was standing behind his closed bathroom door.

However, his conviction was changed to murder shortly after he was released on parole the following year.

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Monitoring

While Pistorius will be effectively a free man, he will be assigned a monitoring correctional services official to work with him until his sentence expires, and reportedly cannot move out of the Waterkloof area without notifying correctional services.

Pistorius will be monitored by the authorities until his sentence officially expires “just like all other parolees”.

He is also required to undergo anger and violence management training and will remain under correctional supervision for nearly six years. If he makes it to that date without breaking his parole conditions or reoffending, he will be free from January 1 2030.

The CSPB previously denied the 36-year-old’s bid for freedom in March after a communique from the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) said he had not served the minimum amount of jail time required.

However, Oscar Pistorius approached the Constitutional Court, which in October confirmed the Paralympian had been eligible for parole for more than six months after he had served half of his sentence by 21 March.

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Parole

In October, the Steenkamp family’s lawyer Tania Koen told The Citizen the family’s view has always been that Pistorius has the same rights as any other offender.

“We’ve always said, and you will recall Barry’s words were always, the law must take its course and the law is taking its course.”

Oscar Pistorius’ lawyer Conrad Dormehl told The Citizen they welcome the Parole Board’s decision’s ruling that Pistorius is to be placed on parole.

“Whilst we are grateful for the certainty which has been provided in relation to the date on which he will finally be released on parole, we are disappointed that the date is not sooner.”

Pistorius is expected to be released on the 5^th of January 2024 after completing a pre-released programme in the line with DCS.

Pistorius was initially sentenced to six years in jail in 2016 by North Gauteng High Court Judge Thokozile Masipa. But that sentence was later overturned by the SCA in 2017 and increased to an effective 13 years and five months.

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