Oscar Pistorius May Be Released From Prison After Serving Just Half Of Sentence For Killing Girlfriend

Former Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius is up for parole and could be released from prison within weeks, after having only served half of his sentence for the 2013 murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, in their South African home.

After the overruling of an initial shorter sentence, Pistorius was sentenced to 13 years and five months for the model and paralegal’s murder.

All South African prisoners are eligible for parole after serving a majority of their sentence. Having served half of his sentence for the Valentine’s Day murder, the 36-year-old “Blade Runner” is now eligible for parole and could be released from prison just 10 years after the model’s death.

Under South African law, the late model’s parents, Barry and June Steenkamp, are unable to appeal against his early release. Pistorius has been begging for her family’s forgiveness for years. In 2014, a prosecutor alleged that the former Paralympian had offered them $34,000, which they refused because they did not want his “blood money.” Pistorius finally spoke to her father last summer, as part of a legal formality for parole-seekers in South Africa.

“It was very traumatizing for myself and for June,” said the late model’s father in an interview with Good Morning Britain about facing Pistorius 10 years after their daughter’s death. While he believed that the former runner felt remorse, Steenkamp still did not get the answers he wanted, saying “only Oscar knows the true story” about the circumstances surrounding the night of the murder.