South African former professional sprinter and convicted murderer has recently made it to the news again. According to BBC, he is going to be released on parole on January 5, 2024.
On February 14, 2013, he shot and killed his then-girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. This happened in his home in Pretoria. At the time of her passing, Steenkamp was 29 years old and had been dating Pistorius for three months. Steenkamp was a law graduate. Furthermore, she was a famous model and even worked as a TV presenter.
According to AP, Pistorius claimed he shot at his girlfriend because he mistook her for an intruder. However, the victim’s family strongly believes that the former professional sprinter got enraged during an argument with Steenkamp. This made him shoot his girlfriend four times.
In 2018, Prime Video released a four-part feature documentary about the South African former professional sprinter. It is titled Pistorius.
The official synopsis of Pistorius reads, “Pistorius is a four-part feature documentary about the South African Paralympic and Olympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius, who shot and killed his girlfriend in the early hours of Valentine’s Day 2013. The story of a man and a nation both born to great disadvantage, the film follows the challenges, hopes and triumphs of both and the demise of their dreams under the glare of the world media.”
Oscar Pistorius trial
The trial of Oscar Pistorius began in March 2014. According to Britannica, in September of the same year, he was found not guilty of murder. However, the court charged him with culpable homicide.
He was sentenced to five years in prison. In October 2015, it was announced that he was released and would spend the rest of his sentencing under house arrest. However, in November 2017, South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal increased his punishment to 13 years and five months.