Still no clarity on Oscar’s release

South Africa’s parole review board has delayed the release of Paralympic gold medallist Oscar Pistorius from prison, where he is serving time for killing his girlfriend, local television station eNCA reported on Monday. He has served almost a year of his five-year prison sentence.

Pistorius was due to leave prison in August to serve the rest of his sentence under house arrest.

The Parole Review Board (PRB) said in a statement that its direction for the athlete to have psychotherapy was to address factors that might have led to his crime.

The decision comes after South Africa’s justice minister expressed concerns over an August release, saying procedure had not been followed.

Pistorius was acquitted of murder and instead found guilty of a lesser charge of culpable homicide for shooting Reeva Steenkamp in 2013.

Pistorius’ hearing continues in Johannesburg after the parole board met in Durban in September and postponed the hearing by two weeks. The corrections department didn’t say when Pistorius’ case would be looked at again.

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

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

Even if he is freed from prison, Pistorius could find himself back behind bars for a minimum of 15 years if an appeal by prosecutors next month is successful.

Whatever the outcome of the parole decision, the South African Supreme Court of Appeal is to hear the prosecution’s appeal on November 3.