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Oscar Pistorius treated at South African hospital; back to jail

Pistorius told officials that he suffered injuries after falling out of bed, following which he was taken to the hospital.

Johannesburg: Oscar Pistorius was treated for injuries at a private hospital and has returned to a South African jail where the Olympian is serving a six-year sentence for killing girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, a prison official said Sunday.

Pistorius told officials that he suffered injuries after falling out of bed, said Singabakho Nxumalo, a spokesman for the correctional services department.

Nxumalo did not provide details of the injuries, citing medical privacy concerns. The former track star was taken back to his Pretoria prison cell on Saturday, and an investigation is underway, the official said.

Last month, South African prosecutors said they would appeal Pistorius' six-year jail sentence, saying it was too lenient. The double-amputee athlete, who was sentenced on July 6, could be released on parole after three years. The prescribed minimum sentence for murder in South Africa is 15 years, though a judge can reduce that penalty in some circumstances.

Pistorius also previously served one year in prison for manslaughter for shooting 29-year-old Steenkamp, a model and reality TV star. That manslaughter conviction was upgraded to the more serious offense of murder after an earlier prosecution appeal, leading to a new sentencing.

Pistorius shot Steenkamp multiple times through a toilet cubicle door in his home in the pre-dawn hours of Valentine's Day, 2013. Pistorius testified that he killed Steenkamp by mistake, thinking there was an intruder hiding in the bathroom. Prosecutors said he shot her intentionally after an argument.

( Source : AP )
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