A mistake made by prosecutors in rejecting previous parole bids has raised the possibility of Oscar Pistorius being freed from prison.
Olympian and double amputee, Oscar Pistorius, has been incarcerated in a South African prison since his conviction for the murder of his girlfriend, Reeve Steenkamp, on Valentine’s Day 2013, under the claim of mistakenly perceiving her as an intruder.
Initially convicted of manslaughter, his sentence was later increased to 13 years and five months for murder. Despite previous parole rejections, Pistorius continued to pursue his release.
His case is scheduled for a review on Friday, during which South Africa’s Department of Corrections will assess his suitability for social integration.
According to South African regulations, serious offenders must serve at least half of their sentence before becoming eligible for parole.
In 2017, the Supreme Court of Appeal ruled that Pistorius should serve a minimum of 15 years for murder, taking into account the time already served for culpable homicide.
A subsequent oversight in accounting for time served during an appeal process resulted in Pistorius being eligible for parole earlier than initially indicated.
Pistorius’ legal team successfully petitioned the Constitutional Court, leading to a reconsideration of his case in light of the earlier error by the appeal court.