Former Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius, “The Blade Runner,” of South Africa has been denied parole after serving about half of his 13-year sentence for the murder of Reeva Steenkamp, his girlfriend.
On Friday, The South African parole board denied Pistorius’ parole because he had not completed the minimum required detention period. "Come August 2024, [Pistorius] would have reached the minimum detention period, then the [parole] board will make a decision," said prison spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo in a media briefing. "He will have to appear again next year. And then we look into the profile and make a decision in terms of his placement.”
Mere months after Pistorius became the first amputee runner to compete in the Olympics, he fired a gun through the bathroom of his home in Pretoria, killing Steenkamp, a law graduate and model he’d seen for a few months. It was Valentine’s Day, and Pistorius said he thought that Steenkamp was an intruder.
In 2014, he was found guilty of Pistorius was found guilty of “culpable homicide,” or killing another without intent. However, he was later convicted of murder after prosecutors appealed the sentence, stating that Pistorius had acted “too hastily and used excessive force.” In 2017, he was sentenced to 13 years in jail, but he continues to deny that he intended to kill Steenkamp.
Pistorius’ account of the events has never sat well with Steenkamp’s parents, Jane and Barry. The two have made it clear they don’t believe Pretoria has told the full truth about their daughter’s murder. The pair have asked their lawyer to communicate that the former Olympian will not be rehabilitated until he “comes clean” about the events.
In South Africa, the family of the victims’ opinions plays a significant role in parole decisions. Pistorius met with Barry last year as part of this process, but the father remains unconvinced that Pistorius has offered up the full story. “While we welcome today’s decision, today is not a cause for celebration. We miss Reeva terribly and will do so for the rest of our lives. We believe in justice and hope that it continues to prevail,” Steenkamp’s parents said in a statement after Pistorius was denied parole.
For now, the 36-year-old—once dubbed the “Blade Runner” for making it to the semi-finals in the men’s Olympic 400-meter race in carbon fiber prosthetics—will await another chance at parole in 2024.
Kells McPhillips is a health and wellness journalist living in Los Angeles. Her work has appeared in Runner's World, The New York Times, Well+Good, Fortune, Shape, and others.
