Former South African Olympian Oscar Pistorius will face a ban on speaking to the media when he is released on parole later this week, nearly 11 years after he killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, prison authorities said Wednesday.
A parole board considering whether Pistorius, 37, was suitable for social reintegration decided in late November to allow him to be released from prison early on January 5.
“Just…
Former South African Olympian Oscar Pistorius will face a ban on speaking to the media when he is released on parole later this week, nearly 11 years after he killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, prison authorities said Wednesday.
A parole board considering whether Pistorius, 37, was suitable for social reintegration decided in late November to allow him to be released from prison early on January 5.
“Just like other parolees, Pistorius is not allowed to give interviews to the media,” the Department of Corrections said in a statement.
“An increased public profile associated with Pistorius does not make him different from other prisoners or justify inconsistent treatment,” it added.
The former athlete is due to be released from prison on the outskirts of Pretoria on Friday. The timing and other logistical details have not been disclosed by the authorities for “security” reasons.
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As part of his parole, until the end of his sentence in 2029 Pistorius must undergo treatment for anger and gender-based violence issues.
Pistorius killed Steenkamp, a model, in the early hours of Valentine’s Day 2013 by shooting four times through the bathroom door of his high-security Pretoria home.
Known worldwide as ‘Blade Runner’ for his carbon fiber prosthetics, he was found guilty of murder and sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2017 after a lengthy trial and numerous appeals.
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He had pleaded not guilty and denied killing Steenkamp in a fit of rage, saying he mistook her for a burglar.
Steenkamp’s mother previously said she did not believe the former athlete was rehabilitated and said she did not believe he had told the truth about what happened.
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