Oscar Pistorius to walk out of jail soon

Johannesburg: Oscar Pistorius, the South African amputee sprinter who shot dead his girlfriend, is set to be freed on parole in August after serving just 10 months in jail, officials said Monday, sparking anger from her family.

Pistorius, who became a global hero after competing in both the Paralympics and Olympics, claimed he mistook Reeva Steenkamp for an intruder when he fired four shots through a locked bathroom door on Valentine’s Day in 2013.

The 28-year-old athlete was found guilty last year of culpable homicide — a charge equivalent to manslaughter — and sentenced to five years in prison. Due to his physical disability, Pistorius has been held in the hospital ward of a Pretoria prison, shielding him from the often brutal overcrowded cells that are known for gang violence.

“The Correctional Supervision and Parole Board approved the placement of Oscar Pistorius under correctional supervision with effect from 21 August,” a government statement said on Monday.

But Steenkamp’s family voiced dismay at the announcement. “Incarceration of 10 months for taking a life is simply not enough,” Reeva’s parents June and Barry Steenkamp said in a statement which was released online. “We fear that this will not send out the proper message and serve as the deterrent it should.”

Zach Modise, commissioner of the correctional services, said that Pistorius would likely be kept under house arrest with one hour of free time each day before the restrictions are gradually eased.