Oscar Pistorius, the double-amputee Olympic runner convicted of the 2013 murder of model Reeva Steenkamp, has been granted parole after serving nearly half of his 13-year sentence. The Department of Corrections outlines conditions for his release, including mandatory anger management programs and community service.

Pistorius, now 37, shot Steenkamp through a bathroom door in his Pretoria home, claiming he mistook her for an intruder. The parole, effective from January 5, requires him to remain in the Pretoria area without authorities’ permission for five years.

While Steenkamp’s mother did not oppose parole, expressing exhaustion with facing Pistorius, she maintained skepticism about his version of events. Steenkamp’s father passed away in September, and her family friend read a statement stating, “I do not believe Oscar’s version that he thought the person in the toilet was a burglar. In fact, I do not know anybody who does. My dearest child screamed for her life. … I believe he knew it was Reeva.”

Pistorius, once a celebrated athlete, faced a series of legal battles, shifting from an initial conviction of culpable homicide to a final verdict of murder on the principle of dolus eventualis. His parole follows a second hearing, correcting an error that initially deemed him ineligible for early release.

Expected to reside in his uncle’s luxurious Pretoria mansion during parole, Pistorius leaves behind a decade of occasional glimpses into his prison life. Reports include his father leading bible classes for inmates and, notably, an altercation requiring medical treatment after a prison phone dispute.

Steenkamp’s killing happened when Pistorius was at the height of his fame and just months after he had become the first double-amputee to compete at the Olympics. He was also a multiple Paralympic sprinting champion and one of sport’s most marketable figures, having overcome the amputation of both his legs below the knee as a baby to run on specially designed carbon-fiber blades.

At his sensational trial, prosecutors argued there was another side to Pistorius’ life that involved guns and angry confrontations with others. Pistorius was also found guilty of a second charge of recklessly firing a gun in a restaurant.

Credit: AP