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Oscar Pistorius paroled decade after killing girlfriend

Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius reacts after sentencing at the High Court on July 6, 2016 at the High Court in Pretoria, South Africa. Pistorius was sentenced to six years in prison for the murder of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at their home in 2013. (Photo by Marco Longari - Pool/Getty Images)
24th November, 2023
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South African former Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius, jailed in 2014 for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, has been granted parole effective from January 5, the Department of Correctional Services says.

Known as the “Blade Runner” for his carbon-fibre prosthetic legs, Pistorius went from a public hero as a Paralympic champion to a convicted killer in hearings that caught the world’s attention a decade ago.

Pistorius shot and killed Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day in 2013.

He was initially jailed for five years in 2014 for culpable homicide by a high court but the Supreme Court of Appeal in late 2015 found him guilty of murder after an appeal by prosecutors.

He was sent back to jail for six years in 2016, less than half the 15-year minimum term sought by prosecutors.

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In 2017, the Supreme Court more than doubled his sentence to 13 years and five months, saying the six-year jail term was “shockingly lenient”.

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