South Africa: Oscar Pistorius granted parole!
By Prof Dr Raheel Ahmed, University of South Africa
On Friday, 24 November 2023, Oscar Leonard Carl Pistorius, the thirty-seven-year-old former South African Paralympic champion, known as the “Blade Runner”, attended his parole hearing at the Atteridgeville Prison, in Pretoria West, South Africa. Pistorius was convicted of murdering his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, a model and law graduate on Valentines Day in 2013. Pistorius shot at Steenekamp, four times through the bathroom door of his home in a secure estate in Pretoria. Pistorius has always maintained that he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder that he believed had broken into his home and was hiding in the bathroom.
After widely publicised legal proceedings, Pistorius was eventually sentenced to thirteen years and five months in prison. During March of this year, Pistorius applied for parole, but the application was denied by the South African Department of Correctional Services, stating that Pistorius had not served the required minimum term of his sentence in order to be eligible for parole. The Constitutional Court of South Africa, however, confirmed that Pistorius was, indeed, eligible for parole in March of this year.
To add to the tragedy, Steenkamp’s father, Barry passed away in September of this year and her mother, June, is saddened at this further loss. June did not oppose Pistorius’ parole, nor did she attend the parole hearing, but provided a “victims impact statement”. June’s statement was read out to the public by her friend Rob Matthews, whose own daughter, Leigh Matthews, was shot dead by a man, Donovan Moodley, now serving a life sentence.
In the statement, June submitted that she was not convinced that Pistorius had been rehabilitated, as she believed that he had not fully and honestly engaged with the extent and consequences of his crime. June also highlighted Pistorius temper and abusive behaviour towards women, in general, in the past. She stated that she had forgiven Pistorius, but recommended that he undergo behavioural management programmes as well as psychotherapy to deal with his anger issues. June further recommended strict parole conditions for Pistorius.
The victims impact statement was, indeed, considered by the parole board and, even though Pistorius was granted parole and will be released on 5 January 2024, strict conditions will apply. Prior to his release, Pistorius will have to undergo a pre-release programme in order to prepare him for life outside prison, and he will have to complete the remainder of his sentence under the community corrections’ system, where he will be subjected to supervision in compliance with the strict parole conditions.
According to the conditions, Pistorius will have to attend anger-management and gender-based violence programmes, as well as continuous compulsory psychotherapy. He has been granted permission to stay with his uncle, Arnold Pistorius, in Waterkloof, Pretoria. but may not leave the district of Waterkloof, unless prior permission is obtained. Pistorius will remain under correctional supervision until the end of December 2029 and, if he does not break his parole conditions during this time, he will be free from 1 January 2030.
The strict parole conditions are to be welcomed and considered a triumph for the rights of gender-based violence victims in South Africa, which has been grappling with gender-based violence, and the government has expressed a clear stance on zero tolerance towards such violence.
However, what a fall from grace for Pistorius himself!
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