Oscar Pistorius released on parole and at home 11 years after murdering Reeva Steenkamp - live

Pistorius admitted to system of community corrections and is now at home

Oscar Pistorius to be released 10 years after murdering girlfriend

Paralympian gold medalist Oscar Pistorius was freed from a South African prison today, 11 years after he killed his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

He is admitted to the system of community corrections and is now at home, said South Africa’s Correctional Services Department.

The double amputee was convicted of murdering Steenkamp after he shot her multiple times through a locked toilet door with a 9mm pistol on Valentine’s Day at their Pretoria home in 2013.

Now reportedly a grey haired smoker who has turned to religion, the 37-year-old will begin his new life on parole a few miles away from the South African capital behind the high walls of his wealthy uncle’s guarded property.

Live: View of South Africa prison as Oscar Pistorius released on parole

A gun enthusiast, Pistorius claimed he thought Ms Steenkamp was an intruder but was convicted of culpable homicide - a crime similar to manslaughter - in 2014.

He was found guilty of the more serious charge of murder in 2015 and he was later sentenced to 13 years in prison after prosecutors won an appeal on the grounds his initial sentence was too lenient.

Key Points

• Breaking: Oscar Pistorius walks out of prison
• What happened on the day Oscar Pistorius killed Reeva Steenkamp?
• Pistorius’s release ‘sends wrong message’, charity warns
• Pistorius to be strictly monitored until December 2029
• Where will Oscar Pistorius live after being released on parole

[4 January 2024 21:30 · Alexander Butler]

Reeva Steenkamp’s father details ‘traumatising’ meeting with daughter’s murderer

Reeva Steenkamp’s father, who has since died, described a “traumatising” face-to-face meeting with his daughter’s murderer Oscar Pistorius last year.

Speaking on the 10th anniversary of the killing, Barry Steenkamp opened up about the prison cell confrontation he had with the former Paralympian.

“He wasn’t wailing and crying like a baby, tears came into his eyes, yes. But it wasn’t that dramatic that he was wailing and crying like a baby. It was really traumatising for myself.”

[4 January 2024 20:30 · Alexander Butler]

Reeva Steenkamp would ‘light up any room', mother says

Reeva Steenkamp’s mother June described her daughter as “beautiful” who would light up a room with her presence in a victim impact statement given before Pistorius’s parole hearing last year.

Steenkamp’s family spokesperson, Rob Matthews, read a victim impact statement from June Steenkamp ahead of his hearing.

“Reeva was born a miracle, she entered our lives after medical experts predicted that I would have difficulty conceiving after a miscarriage. From a very young age, she had the ability to light up a room with her presence,” the statement read.

Mrs Steenkamp also said she did not believe Pistorius had thought her daughter was an intruder, which he claimed during his trial.

Despite saying her daughter’s death left a “massive hole” in the life of her family, she said she had forgiven Pistorius as she “would not be able to survive if I had to cling to my anger”.

[4 January 2024 19:30 · Alexander Butler]

Pictured: Oscar Pistorius’s prison cell inside the Kgosi Mampuru II prison, Pretoria, South Africa, in 2016

Religious and self help books can be seen stacked above Pistorius’s bed (Supplied)

A religious themed pillow case sits on Pistorius’s bed. ‘I am who I am. This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation,’ it reads (Supplied)

Prosthetic legs are seen propped up against a cabinet next to a toilet in Pistorius’s cell (Supplied)

A handwritten and misspelt ‘Pistoruis. O’ is stuck to his cell door (Supplied)

[4 January 2024 18:15 · Alexander Butler]

Oscar Pistorius: From Olympic superstar to Pretoria prison

Just a year before Ms Steenkamp’s death, Pistorius had starred at the London Olympic Games in summer 2012 and won worldwide fame.

In addition to his haul of three medals – two gold and one silver – Pistorius had become the first double-amputee to compete in both the Olympics and Paralympics.

The historic achievement cemented his place as a trailblazer and celebrated ambassador for disability sport. Read more about his fall from grace here:

[4 January 2024 16:23 · Alexander Butler]

Welcome to our live coverage of this event

Welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of this event. Paralympian gold medalist and murderer Oscar Pistorius will be released from prison on Friday 11 years after killing his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

The double amputee was convicted of murdering Reeva Steenkamp after he shot her multiple times through a locked toilet door with a 9mm pistol on Valentine’s Day at their Pretoria home in 2013.

But he is now set to be released on parole, and will live with his uncle on a high walled and closely guarded compound a few miles from Pretoria.

We will be bringing you all live updates, including pictures of Pistorius leaving prison, reaction to his early release, and explainers on what happened.

Pistorius, right, will walk free from prison 11 years after he murdered his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp (AP)