Oscar’s parole – still waiting for decision

Oscar Pistorius’ release from prison – where he is serving time for killing his girlfriend – has been delayed and he has been told he must have psychotherapy.

Oscar Pistorius’ lawyer says a decision on the Olympic athlete’s early release from prison has been referred back to the parole board. The high court in Pretoria previous year convicted him of culpable homicide.

Spokesperson for Correctional Services, Manelisi Wolela, said he could not shed light on the process as the department took instruction from the chairperson of the parole review board.

South Africa’s parole review board – the final recourse for parole disputes – met on Monday to determine if the Paralympic star, 28, should be allowed out on house arrest.

The law states clearly that an offender can only be considered for parole after serving one-sixth of his sentence, in this case 10 months.

Justice Minister Michael Masutha, on the eve of Pistorius’ release in August, referred the matter back to the review board for reconsideration.

The double-amputee sprinter was sentenced last year to five years in prison for killing model and law graduate Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day 2013, the culmination of a trial that attracted global headlines.

Reeva Steenkamp, 29, was born in Cape Town and grew up in Port Elizabeth.

A champion Paralympian and once a poster boy for sport, Pistorius, known as the “Blade Runner” for the prosthetic legs he wears on the track, shot to fame when he raced against able-bodied competitors in the 2012 London Olympics.