Oscar Pistorius Released From Prison After Serving Half Sentence, Organisation Opposes Release
- Convicted murderer Oscar Pistorius has been released from prison on parole on 5 January
- The former Paralympian served half of his sentence after being handed down a 13-year sentence for killing his model girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp
- Women For Change's chairperson, Sabrina Walter, told Briefly News that Oscar was supposed to finish his entire sentence
With nine years of experience, Tebogo Mokwena, a current affairs writer for Briefly News, provided insights into the criminal justice system and high-profile cases in South Africa at Daily Sun.
Source: Getty Images
What you need to know:
- Oscar Pistorius murdered his girlfriend on 14 February 2013, more than a decade ago
- Although he initially denied killing her, he later confessed that he thought she was an intruder
- He was initially charged with involuntary mansl*ughter and was sentenced to 5 years
- After appealing, his sentence was changed to murder and was given 13 years before being released more than 7 years ago
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Convicted murderer Oscar Pistorius has been released from Attridgeville Correctional Services Centre after serving half of his 13-year sentence. Women For Change is against his release and believes that he deserves to remain in prison.
Oscar Pistorius was released from prison on parole.
Pistorius's release comes after a long journey in which he applied for parole and was rejected before it was granted. Pistorius was eligible for parole in March 2023 and applied for parole. However, his parole was denied, and the Steenkamp family opposed his application. The Department of Correctional Services also revealed a mix-up regarding when Oscar started serving his sentence, as he was given two sentences after being found guilty. It was determined that Oscar first began serving his sentence when he was incarcerated.
According to @ewnupdates, Oscar was seen walking out of prison for the first time. He was accompanied by his family members, who fetched him so that he could serve the rest of his sentence while living with his uncle in Pretoria.
Women For Change tells Briefly News they disagree with parole
Women For Change's Sabrina Walter told Briefly News that Pistorius was not supposed to be released.
"Oscar's parole release, which was decided just one day before the 16 Days of Activism against GBV campaign kicked off, disappointed many activists and GBV organisations. 13 years and five months was a very lenient sentence in the first place, but he got out after serving only eight years in prison, just reflects the legal system's inability to address femicide as a pandemic.
"I still maintain that Oscar Pistorius should have served the full sentence for the brutal murder of Reeva. Given the severity of the crime, I feel that justice has not been adequately served," she said.
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Organisation believes Oscar Pistorius’s release undermines GBV victims, Mzansi opposes them
South Africans believe he deserves parole
When asked if he deserves parole, South Africans commented on @eNCA's X, formerly Twitter, tweet. Some believed he deserved parole.
Rakesh Prethiechund Singh said:
"So many other offenders who committed much more serious crimes were released prior, but when Oscar is released, the question is being asked."
Aubrey:
"I strongly believe that only those qualified to get parole must be released. They should meet the criteria set out by the Department of Correctional Services."
VinuHODL:
"He served his time. Let him go home and wear his blades in peace. He won't run."
Others opposed it.
Loretta Jacobus:
"No parole for all schedule 5-9 (serious crime) offences."
Bob:
"The actual punchline in this joke is the 13 years for murder."
Oscar Pistorius's release undermines GBV victims: Women For Change
In a similar story, Briefly News reported that Women For Change slammed Oscar Pistorius's release from prison on parole.
Pistorius walked free from prison after serving half of his sentence for killing Reeva Steenkamp. The organisation's spokesperson, Bulelwa Adonis, believed that his release undermined GBV victims and showed a lack of accountability for GBV.
Source: Briefly News
