Oscar pistorius goes to court to push for parole

Oscar Pistorius, the former South African Olympic and Paralympic athlete, appeared in court on July 6, 2021, to argue for parole after serving nearly seven years of his 13-year sentence for the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.

Pistorius, who was 34 years old at the time of the hearing, was convicted of culpable homicide in 2014 for shooting Steenkamp four times through a bathroom door at his Pretoria home in 2013. In 2016, his conviction was upgraded to murder by the Supreme Court of Appeal.

Pistorius has been serving his sentence at the Atteridgeville Correctional Centre in Pretoria. He has been denied parole twice before, in 2016 and 2019, due to concerns about his rehabilitation and the fact that he had not shown sufficient remorse for his crime.

During the hearing, Pistorius's lawyer, Carl Pienaar, argued that his client had undergone significant rehabilitation and had shown remorse for his actions. Pienaar also pointed out that Pistorius had completed a number of rehabilitation programs, including anger management and substance abuse counseling.

However, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) opposed Pistorius's parole bid, citing concerns about his lack of remorse and the fact that he had not taken full responsibility for his crime. The NPA also argued that Pistorius had not shown sufficient evidence of rehabilitation and that he still posed a risk to society.

The judge, Thokozile Masipa, reserved judgment on Pistorius's parole bid and is expected to make a decision in the coming weeks. If granted parole, Pistorius would be released from prison and would be required to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest.

The case has sparked widespread debate and controversy in South Africa, with many calling for Pistorius to serve his full sentence and others arguing that he has shown sufficient remorse and should be released.