Oscar Pistorius Case Update: Former Track Star Out of Prison
Former Olympic gold medalist track star Oscar Pistorius, who previously got convicted of killing his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, was released in prison on Tuesday night and is now in house arrest.
Pistorius, convicted of culpable homicide and is serving five years in prison, has already served 10 months of his five-year term in prison. Under the South African law, an offender sentenced to five years or less in jail can be released to correctional supervision after serving one-sixth of the term.
It has been reported by the Associated Press that the Department of Corrections confirmed that Pistorius was released at 7:30 p.m. at the Kgosi Mampuru II jail. Meanwhile, Anneliese Burgess, the spokeswoman for the Pistorius family explained some details of Pistorius' release.
Apparently, the sentence "has not been shortened or reduced," she said as quoted by the Associated Press. "He now enters the next phase of his sentence. He will serve this under the strict conditions that govern correctional supervision."
"Oscar is here, and Oscar is at home with the family," Burgess continued as she spoke to reporters outside of Pistorius current residence at his uncle's mansion in Waterkloof. The house that Pistorius is currently living in is described to be in a personal cottage with access to a swimming pool, a satellite TV and grassy lawns as well as the opportunity to have physical training as part of his parole conditions, the Daily Mail reports.
The house arrest would also include Psycotherapy sessions and a ban of handling all types of firearms according to the Associated Press. However, the late Steenkamp's family was not very pleased with Pistorius' release.
"They are fine. Reeva is still dead and this doesn't change how they feel," Tanya Koen, the lawyer for Steenkamp's parents said as quoted by the Daily Mail. Meanwhile, Steenkamp's cousin Kim Martin also spoke of Pistorius release, saying that the family might consider visiting him when the time is "right," she said per BBC News.
"You try to forget it and carry on with your life and concentrate on Reeva's memory and try not to focus any energy on Oscar getting out of jail," Martin continued. "We have to be content with what happened to be able to carry for your own personal sanity."
However, Martin feels like Pistorius is "getting off lightly." Steenkamp's parents also said that Pistorius prison sentence is "not enough for taking a life."
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