South African athlete, Oscar Pistorius, who has been incarcerated for six years following his conviction for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, has formally petitioned the Constitutional Court to grant him eligibility for parole.
This move comes subsequent to his previous attempt for parole being rejected in March. The denial was rooted in the revelation that he had not completed the stipulated minimum sentence duration required to qualify for early release.
Pistorius was initially found culpable for murder and subsequently sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2017, following a protracted and highly publicized trial that involved numerous legal proceedings.
His conviction stemmed from the tragic incident in which he shot and fatally wounded Reeva Steenkamp by firing through the bathroom door of his heavily fortified residence on Valentine’s Day in 2013. Pistorius asserted that he believed Steenkamp was an intruder, leading to the fatal confrontation.
He believes he qualifies to be released on parole and that “staying longer in prison constitutes an infringement on his fundamental rights“.
The nation’s highest appeals court stated earlier this year, nevertheless, that the six-time Paralympic gold medalist must still serve an additional year and a half in prison before being considered for parole.
Source: Africanews
