Pistorius released from prison UPDATE
Oscar Pistorius has been released from prison a day early.
It was reported last week that South African Paralympic sprinter, Oscar Pistorius would be released from prison to be put under house arrest and it now has emerged that Pistorius has been released, a day earlier than expected.
Late on Monday night, Pistorius was moved to the house of his uncle, Arnold Pistorius in an upmarket suburb of Pretoria. A spokesperson for the department of correctional services confirmed that Pistorius was released at 7:30pm on Monday evening.
The decision to release Pistorius early was made by the management of the prison, who wanted to avoid a media circus on Tuesday morning, the day of his actual release. Pistorius’s original release date was the 20th August, but the decision was suspended by the government after a public outcry.
A second parole hearing was then set last week, which set his release date to the 20th October. Pistorius, who has been released less than 1 year into his 5 year sentence for the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, is expected to remain under house arrest until 2019, although he is pending an outcome of an appeal by prosecutors that could see him back in prison.
The state have challenged the original verdict of culpable homicide, made by Judge Thokozile Masipa and the supreme court of appeals will hear the appeal on November 3rd. The prosecutors argue that Pistorius should be convicted of murder, which carries a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison.
