Oscar Pistorius, the double-amputee sprinter who shot and killed his girlfriend, was quietly released from a South African prison today, and was allegedly warned he could be assassinated in retaliation.
Dubbed “Blade Runner” after his 2012 Olympic performance, Pistorius was paroled after serving only part of his 13-year, five-month sentence for the fatal shooting of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in February 2013, though his sentence doesn’t expire until December 2029.
Fox News reported that police allegedly told Pistorius he could be killed in retaliation, and the threats came from underworld figures reported to be sympathetic to Steenkamp’s family. The runner will live at his uncle’s mansion, which the rightwing media outlet said is a fortified compound with armed guards, electronic defenses, and “attack dogs.”
The six-time Paralympic gold medalist will be restricted from doing any media interviews, and also be required to continue anger management therapy and attend a course on gender-based violence as part of his parole.
Most of Pistorius’ release from the minimum security prison from non-violent offenders was done under complete secrecy. Department of Corrections spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo told the Associated Press that the disgraced runner was “processed according to procedure.” However, his release would be done under secrecy on what Nxumalo referred to as an “operation” in order to avoid a media scramble.
The Department of Corrections announced ahead of time that it would not publicize the release, stating that Pistorius would not be “paraded” for the media.
Steenkamp’s mother, June, released a statement Friday through the family lawyer.
“There can never be justice if your loved one is never coming back,” June said in her statement, via Reuters. “And no amount of time served will bring Reeva back.
“We, who remain behind, are the ones serving a life sentence.”
June Steenkamp added that her only desire was to be allowed to live in peace now that Pistorius is on parole.
Original source here
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