Oscar Pistorius will not be freed on parole this Friday because the decision to do so was made without the right legal basis.
That’s according to South Africa’s justice minister. The last minute move shocked the athlete’s family as they prepared for his homecoming.
The former Paralympic gold medallist had been expected to be released after serving 10 months of a five-year sentence for killing his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day 2013.
In a petition, the Progressive Women’s Movement of South Africa said the decision of the parole board was “outrageous” and “an insult” to victims of abuse
“It is therefore clear that there is no legal basis upon which such a decision was made … one sixth of a five-year sentence is 10 months and at the time the decision was made Mr. Pistorius had served only over six months of his sentence,” Masutha said in a statement.
The minister said he had received a petition from the Progressive Women’s Movement of South Africa opposing Pistorius’ release on parole, saying it flouted the rules.
A family member said relatives had planned a “low-key welcome” for Pistorius on Friday. “We are shocked and disappointed that Oscar won’t be home this Friday,” the family member, who declined to be named, told Reuters.
Annelise Burgess, the family’s official spokeswoman, said: “We accept the decision by the Minister of Justice and are considering our options.”
Pistorius has admitted killing Steenkamp, 29, by firing four shots through the locked door of a toilet cubicle, saying he believed an intruder was hiding behind it.
Judge Thokozile Masipa said during sentencing the state had failed to convince her of Pistorius’ intent to kill when he fired.
Prosecutors want the verdict of culpable homicide, equivalent to manslaughter, changed to murder because they argue Pistorius must have known when he fired that the person behind the door could be killed.
The athlete, nicknamed “Blade Runner” because of the carbon-fibre prosthetics he used during his career on the track, was expected to be confined to the home of his uncle, Arnold, a high-walled manor in the leafy suburb of Waterkloof.
