Pistorius parole decision delayed again

If the parole review board decides that Pistorius should be released from prison, the athlete might be able to leave jail immediately, his lawyer, Brian Webber, told reporters.

The Paralympic gold medallist is serving a five-year sentence for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in 2013.

In fact, the prison parole board, when it announced its decision in June, believed Pistorius would therefore be eligible to transfer on August 21, which happens to be 10 months to the day after he was sentenced.

It was not immediately clear when a new parole hearing for Pistorius would be held.

However, South Africa’s Justice Minister Michael Masutha made a last-minute intervention and the case was referred to a parole review board.

The judge instead found him guilty of a lesser charge of culpable homicide – equivalent to manslaughter.

If so, it is likely to impose a harsher sentence than the five years handed down to him by the Pretoria High Court last October.

The review board also ordered Pistorius to undergo psychotherapy and recommended he should be put under firearm restrictions if granted parole.

Pistorius admitted he shot Steenkamp but claimed he was acting in self-defense after he misidentified her as a trespasser in his home.

Burgess said Pistorius had been receiving regular psychotherapy from his own psychologists and those at the prison, as well as from a social worker whose reports formed part of the parole decision process. Masutha said the parole board had made a mistake when they approved Pistorius for early release.

At a globally televised trial he argued that he had mistaken Steenkamp for a burglar.

“We have forgiven Mr Pistorius even though he took the life of our precious daughter, Reeva”, the statement said.

Prosecutors will seek to convict the Olympic sprinter for murder with an appeal to South Africa’s Supreme Court on November. 3.