Parole Eligibility Hearing for South African Paralympic Champ Set for March 31, Media Says

Six-time gold winner, South African Paralympic champ, Oscar Pistorius, was initially sentenced to six and then 13 years in prison following a court's decision to acknowledge him guilty of murdering his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp.

The parole eligibilty hearing of South African Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius who was imprisoned for killing his girlfriend 10 years ago is set for March 31, his lawyer Julian Knight has said, as cited by media.

Pistorius, now 36, killed a model Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day 2013 by shooting her four times. The former athlete, as he has repeatedly claimed, mistook her for a burglar.

The former sprinter had initially been sentenced to six years behind bars, which was changed to 13 years after the state said the sentence was too lenient.

However, according to local legislation, each South African prisoner becomes automatically eligible for parole if a half of the term is served.

The law is the same for all, "Oscar Pistorius is not an exception," the lawyer of the parents of Pistorius' victim, Tania Koen, said, as cited by media.

In July 2021, as half of his 13-year term had already passed, the athlete-turned-murderer reportedly sent a letter to the victim's parents June and Barry Steenkamp as part of South Africa's restorative justice parole process whereby prisoners must also "take responsibility for their actions."

According to the local press, June and Barry Steenkamp accepted the fact that Pistorius might be released from prison, and wanted to meet him in person.

"Yes, they want to do that face to face. Barry has said for years he wants to meet Oscar and he has questions to ask," Koen said, noting that the parents "would give their input" to Pistorius' parole.

A parole hearing had been scheduled for the end of October 2021 but it was cancelled, partly because a meeting between Pistorius and Steenkamp's parents had not been arranged.