the ex-Paralympic athlete, convicted of the murder of his partner, is released from prison

He was nicknamed “Bladerunner” : the 37-year-old former South African Paralympic athlete, Oscar Pistorius, became famous for running with the able-bodied thanks to his blade-shaped prostheses. But after the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in February 2013, he was sentenced to 13 years and 5 months in prison for having fired four times at the closed door of his toilet where the victim was, thinking, according to him , dealing with a burglar. Even though he has served half of his sentence, Oscar Pistorius left prison on Friday January 5, having obtained conditional release.

South African prison laws are primarily intended to promote reintegration. An inmate can therefore be released if he meets a certain number of criteria, such as good behavior in prison and time spent behind bars. This is how the prison administration decided last November to grant this early release, insisting on the fact that Oscar Pistorius is treated like any other convict. The former Paralympic champion is expected to reside at the home of his uncle, Arnold Pistorius, in a wealthy suburb of Pretoria, according to South African media.

Under the supervision of prison officers

Reeva Steenkamp’s family has accepted this decision but continues to regret that the former athlete never admitted to intentionally shooting Reeva on Valentine’s Day 2013. In a statement released Friday, June Steenkamp, ​​the mother of the victim, returned to the pain of having lost her daughter: “There can never be enough justice when your loved one will never return, and no amount of punishment will bring Reeva back.” The obligation for the convicted person to follow anger management therapy and a program to combat violence against women, however, sends, according to her, “a clear message that gender-based violence is not taken lightly.”

Once free, Oscar Pistorius will remain under the supervision of prison officers and will have to respect several rules, such as his presence at his home at certain times of the day, the ban on giving interviews or consuming alcohol or drugs .