South African department of correctional services on Thursday said, Oscar Pistorius will be released on parole next week after serving one year of his five-year jail term for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
According to the statement made, “approved the placement of offender Oscar Pistorius under correctional supervision as from 20 October 2015,”.
“The parole board considered all submissions, including the offender’s profile report, the directives of the Parole Review Board and the submission of the victim’s family.”
The Paralympian’s lawyers had argued that he should have been released and granted house arrest in August after serving one-sixth of his jail term sentence for killing Steenkamp in 2013.
But he remained behind bars after Justice Minister Michael Masutha made a last-minute intervention and the case was referred for review.
Steenkamp’s parents insisted Pistorius killed their daughter on purpose and have previously contested any parole.
Pistorius’s family on the other hand, accused officials of bowing to “political and media hype” in denying him parole.
“I do think correctional services have probably considered how unfairly he has been treated. He should have been released on August 21,” said Brian Webber, a lawyer representing Pistorius.
After his release, Pistorius will face a further test on November 3 when prosecutors appeal to South Africa’s Supreme Court for a murder conviction and a tougher sentence.
