Oscar Pistorius to be freed on parole - BBC News
BBC News- 689 views
- 24 Nov 2023
Former Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius is to be freed from jail on parole, 10 years after murdering his girlfriend Reeva ...
I.
Just want to take you to some breaking news. It's a story that we've been talking about here on BBC News this morning, and it relates to Oscar Pistorius, the athlete. Oscar Pistorius, it was his second chance at a parole hearing on Friday. We heard from our correspondent. There is a press conference there that's going on at the moment. This is after he was wrongly ruled ineligible for early release from prison in March. Let's take a listen.
We want to be a friend of the nation to make sure that the rules and regulations are applied evenly across the board without fear or favor. And if those are the rules and pastures has met the requirements, then so be it. My personal view on that is not important.. Again, I can't see into June's mind, but I think that you heard when I read out the victim statement that I believe her view being that if the parole board are of the opinion that he's met the criteria for release on parole, then I believe June will be okay with that. But I can't read inside her mind. I can only interpret what she said.
Sir, there's somebody who campaigns against violence, gender violence. I ask him for stories and he says he never accepted that he did what he killed, but he was them to him. Yes. How about to go down with you and have a look. Let's have a look at that.
I think that my personal opinion is that part of that road to rehabilitation is acknowledging what you've done and being accountable for what you've done and being man enough or person enough to say, I did it, and all the consequences that go with it, not just lip service, because lip service is easy. It's easy to say, Sorry, we're not being caught. Your actions have to be completed with deeds in the way you conduct your life. So I'm not sure that answers the question, but that's my feeling. And I think it's pertinent to take into consideration the conditions that have been given to Pestarius. I think that's quite important. Remember, he's not a lifer. He did not get a life sentence. The rules for life sentences are very different. But I'm just the dad. I'm not the lawyer.
Some people might say that the sentence is actually quite lenient in the first place. He's a mentor to service and come up here for the murder of a woman, a defensive woman. He's not the traitor.
But I go back to the point, if that's what the law says, and if those are the rules, then we need to question the rules. We can't question those who interpret the rules and make decisions on those rules, because I think that leads to chaos and mayhem. I think as a law-abiding country, and I believe the majority of us want to be law-abiding people. And if those rules aren't adequate or too lenient, then that's where that issue should be addressed. Okay, thank you very much for your time and thank you for your interest.
Thank you.
Thank you.
So that was Rob Matthews. He is a friend of the Steencamp family. Of course, you will remember that Reaver Steencamp was shot and killed by Oscar Pistoroyous on Valentine's Day 2013, in the last few minutes, to remind you that he has been told that he will be released on parole. This was after a South African parole board approved his conditional release, and he is due to be released on the fifth of January next year. So just to reiterate that news that has just broken within the last few minutes, and you heard there a family friend of Revistir Camp saying not happy with the rules, not happy with this decision, that the South African Parole Board has been told that the Oscar Pistorius, his parole has been approved on conditional release, and he is due to be released on the fifth of January next year. Now, you are watching BBC News. Do stay with us. We are just bringing you that news there about Oscar Pistorius. You remember Oscar Pistorius, the global Paralympic superstar. You remember that back in the Olympics in London, back in 2012, that he was competing in the the Olympics itself. And then less than a year later, this is on Valentine's Day 2013, he shot and killed his girlfriend, Reaver Steencamp reaction in South Africa, where he's been in prison to the news that he will be approved, conditional release due to be released on the fifth of January next year.
Let's take a listen.
Because the reason for monitoring is not to punish inmates, but to assist them in their social reintegration efforts. So for now, I think I would want to end there, except to say just like all other parolees, Mr. Pestoras, will be monitored by our official trials based within the system of community corrections. And that will happen until such time that his sentence expires. Because we always make it a point that parole placement does not mean the end of a sentence, but it merely says that you will complete your sentence outside of a correctional facility, which is part and parcel of rehabilitation efforts. I thank you, colleagues. Unless there are a few questions, I'm willing to take that.
When you say monitored, do you mean he's going to have an ankle bracelet?
What's the monitoring? What's the nature of the monitoring?
And then second of all, Mr. Matthews just gave us a list of the alleged parole conditions. Are you able to confirm that those are.
In fact, the conditions? Okay, thank you. In South Africa, we currently we do not utilize the bracelets that we find in other countries, but we have officials in our system of community corrections. It's a branch, it's located across the country. Those officials, their responsibility is to monitor parolies and probationals. So what will happen is that Mr. Cistones will be allocated a monitoring official. So this is the official that will work with him until his sentence expires. If there are changes, they will engage. Why is it important to have a monitoring official? When a parolee is out there, there are many things happening in his life. It could be the change of an address, securing employment or starting a business. All those things do matter because we have to be informed about teacher and every activity. Or in case a parolee is moving from one province to another province, even if it's not long term, we have to then alert our officials on the other side that be on the lookout to have a parolee coming to that particular site. So it's very important that a parolee has that relationship with the monitoring official, and they then work out a schedule in terms of the visits at home, coming to offices, unannounced visits.
But I want to repeat the intention is not to make life difficult for a parolee, but just to assist that person that one, is complying with those parole conditions. Two, that an inmate is able to reintegrate successfully. In terms of the parole conditions, I will opt not to detail myself.
On those. Reaction there to the news, which has broken in the last few minutes that the convicted murderer, Oscar Pistorius, has been told that he will be released on parole. This is after a South African parole board approved his conditional release. He is due to be released on the fifth of January next year.