Oscar Pistorius, a Paralympic gold medallist from South Africa, has requested the courts to order the prison administration to consider releasing him on parole, according to a lawyer on Wednesday. Pistorius was sentenced to 13 years in prison for killing his girlfriend.
Reeva Steenkamp, a model, was fatally shot by Pistorius, 35, in the early hours of Valentine’s Day 2013 when she was in the restroom.
He said that when he fired four shots through the door, he believed a burglar was hiding in his en suite bathroom.
In 2014, after being convicted of murder, he began completing his sentence.
According to Julian Knight, his attorney, the athlete was seeking a court order compelling the government to schedule a parole hearing.
It’s an application to force the parole board to hold a hearing to evaluate his release, according to Knight.
“It doesn’t mean he has to be given parole, but he has to be taken into consideration.”
He said that no hearing date had yet been established while declining to provide further information.
In SA, an offender must first serve half of their sentence before being eligible for parole.
The encounter between Pistorius and Steenkamp’s parents the prior month was verified by the correctional services division in July.
The interaction was a component of Pistorius’ rehabilitation, which is also necessary in order for him to be eligible to petition for parole.
Due to his carbon-fibre prostheses, Pistorius, often known as the “Blade Runner,” gained international fame when he participated in the London 2012 Olympics, a year before he fatally shot Reeva Steenkamp.