By Aaron Miller-
Oscar Pistorius,(pictured) the renowned double-amputee athlete and former Olympic runner, is set to have a second parole hearing on Friday, providing a fresh opportunity for early release after an administrative error led to his initial ineligibility for parole in March.
The South African Department of Corrections, in a statement to The Associated Press on Monday, announced that a parole board would reassess Pistorius’ case to determine his suitability for social integration.
Once celebrated as the “Blade Runner,” Pistorius faced a fall from grace when he fatally shot Steenkamp- his girlfriend at the time.
Pistorius, initially convicted of culpable homicide—an offense comparable to manslaughter—for the shooting death of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in the predawn hours of Valentine’s Day 2013, has been in prison since late 2014.
His conviction was subsequently upgraded to murder, resulting in a sentence of 13 years and five months after a series of appeals by prosecutors.
At his murder trial, Pistorious claimed he shot Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model, by mistake with his licensed 9mm pistol because he believed she was a dangerous intruder hiding in his bathroom in the middle of the night
Serious offenders in South Africa must serve at least half their sentence before becoming eligible for parole. Pistorius’ parole eligibility has been mired in complexity due to appeals by prosecutors challenging both his culpable homicide conviction and a seemingly lenient six-year sentence for murder.
In 2017, the Supreme Court of Appeal ruled that Pistorius should serve South Africa’s minimum sentence of 15 years for murder, considering the year and seven months he had already served for culpable homicide.
However, an error arose as the court failed to account for another period served during the murder sentence appeal, making him eligible for parole in March contrary to the initially communicated date of August 2024.
Acknowledging this error, Pistorius’ lawyers took the case to the country’s apex Constitutional Court. The decision to grant Pistorius another parole hearing on Friday is viewed as an effective admission of the appeal court’s mistake.
Pistorius, who turns 37 on Wednesday, is not assured of early release. The parole board will consider various factors, including his conduct and disciplinary record in prison, mental health, and the likelihood of reoffending.
Potential outcomes range from full parole to day parole, allowing him to live and work in the community but requiring nighttime return to prison..