Oscar Pistorius will walk out of the prison he is currently being held in in August, after serving just 10 months of a 5 year prison sentence for shooting his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp dead.
“We have forgiven Mr Pistorius even though he took the life of our precious daughter, Reeva. Our lives will never be the same as we live with the sadness of her death every day.”
“Reeva had so much to offer this world and we were all robbed of her life when she was killed. As her family, we do not seek to avenge her death and we do not want Mr Pistorius to suffer; that will not bring her back to us. However, a person found guilty of a crime must be held accountable for their actions.”
“Statistics show that our society is under continuous attack from criminals and murderers. Incarceration of 10 months for taking a life is simply not enough. We fear that this will not send out the proper message and serve as the deterrent it should.”
Legal authorities in South Africa are not expected to oppose the decision handed down by the parole board. Pistorius will be confined to house arrest, with one hour of free time each day. Over time, these conditions are expected to relax – allowing him to, for example, attend church sermons, but not to socialise at night whilst the sentence is still in effect.
