Oscar Pistorius denied parole, hasn’t served enough time

By MOGOMOTSI MAGOME and GERALD IMRAY
Associated Press

PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) — Former Olympic runner Oscar Pistorius was denied parole Friday after it was decided that he had not served the “minimum detention period” required to be released from prison following his murder conviction for the 2013 killing of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

The parole board ruled Pistorius would be able to apply again in August 2024, South Africa’s Department of Corrections said in a statement. The board cited a new clarification on Pistorius’ sentence that was issued by South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal three days ago, according to the statement.

The result was a surprise but there has been legal wrangling over when Pistorius should be eligible for parole because of the series of appeals in his case. He was initially convicted of culpable homicide, a charge comparable to manslaughter, in 2014 but the case went through a number of appeals before Pistorius was finally sentenced to 13 years and five months in prison for murder in 2017.

Serious offenders must serve at least half their sentence to be eligible for parole in South Africa.

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Imray reported from Cape Town, South Africa.