Oscar Pistorius at the 2012 Summer Olympics, prior to his culpable homicide conviction. A parole review panel Monday upheld a decision to prevent his early transfer from prison to house arrest. File photo by Hugo Philpott/UPI |
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PRETORIA, South Africa, Oct. 6 (UPI) -- A South African parole review panel upheld an earlier judge's ruling to prevent athlete Oscar Pistorius from being moved from prison to house arrest.
Pistorius was convicted in 2014 of culpable homicide -- a charge similar to manslaughter in the United States -- in the 2013 shooting death of Reeva Steenkamp, his girlfriend. Sentenced to five years' imprisonment, the double amputee and former Olympic track star was to leave prison in August to house arrest, six months into his sentence, until Justice Minister Michael Masutha prevented his release on grounds it was granted prematurely.
The law, Masutha argued, states an offender can be considered for parole, but not granted parole, after serving one-sixth of his sentence. In Pistorius' case, it would require his incarceration for 10 months.
Monday the parole review panel, led by Judge Lucy Mailula, ruled Masutha acted correctly. The panel also recommended Pistorius receive, while in prison, "psychotherapy in order to address criminogenic factors of the crime he committed," a reference to behavior which leads to committing crimes.
A statement from Pistorius' family suggested his global fame as an athlete may have damaged his ability to be treated fairly in considering his release to house arrest, saying, "This experience leaves us with the uncomfortable conclusion that the public, political and media hype that was allowed to develop around Oscar's trial has undermined his right to be treated like any other prisoner."
The family added Pistorius is already undergoing psychotherapy in prison.
The delay means Pistorius will likely be in prison on November 3, when prosecutors begin an appeal to South Africa's Supreme Court, seeking a harsher sentence and a murder conviction.
