Former Paralympian Oscar Pistorius has been released on parole from jail, 11 years after murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in South Africa.
Pistorius was “at home” on Friday morning, having completed half of his more than 13-year sentence, according to officials.
The mother of the late Reeva Steenkamp said she respected the decision to free her daughter’s killer, but her family was rather “serving a life sentence.”
In 2012, Pistorius became the first double amputee to compete in the Olympics. Six months after his historic feat, he went on to shoot Steenkamp many times through his house toilet door. South Africa and the rest of the world were stunned by the shooting and ensuing trials.
In his defence, the 37-year-old Pistorius claimed that he mistook his girlfriend for a burglar in the middle of the night.
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After an appeal court reversed an earlier ruling of culpable homicide or manslaughter, Pistorius was convicted of murder in 2015.
Under South African law, all convicts are eligible for parole, which means early release under specific conditions, after serving half of their whole sentence, which was eventually set at 13 years and five months for Pistorius.
He will be subject to rigorous regulations until his sentence expires in 2029, including being restricted to his house during certain hours of the day and being prohibited from drinking alcohol. He is also forbidden from speaking to the media.
Pistorius will also be compelled to attend treatment to help him cope with issues related to gender-based violence and rage.
He is reported to have moved to the home of his uncle, Arnold Pistorius, in an affluent area of Pretoria.
According to court records provided by South African writer Karyn Maughan, Pistorius worked in the library and cleaned convicts’ cells while in jail.