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| Oscar Pistorius's release from prison halted by South Africa's justice minister | Oscar Pistorius's release from prison halted by South Africa's justice minister |
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| Oscar Pistorius’s release from prison has been put on hold by the South African government. The Paralympian, convicted of culpable homicide for the killing of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, was due to be moved to house arrest on Friday after serving 10 months behind bars. But Michael Masutha, the justice minister, has referred the matter back to the parole review board, sowing legal confusion and doubts over the release date. | Oscar Pistorius’s release from prison has been put on hold by the South African government. The Paralympian, convicted of culpable homicide for the killing of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, was due to be moved to house arrest on Friday after serving 10 months behind bars. But Michael Masutha, the justice minister, has referred the matter back to the parole review board, sowing legal confusion and doubts over the release date. |
| Mthunzi Mhaga, spokesman for the Justice Department, said the date would have to be reviewed again because the athlete was approved to be moved to house arrest too soon. | Mthunzi Mhaga, spokesman for the Justice Department, said the date would have to be reviewed again because the athlete was approved to be moved to house arrest too soon. |
| Related: Oscar Pistorius prosecutors file appeal against murder acquittal | Related: Oscar Pistorius prosecutors file appeal against murder acquittal |
| Pistorius should have served 10 months, or one-sixth, of his five-year sentence before being considered for release, Mhaga said. But he was approved for parole in June, eight months into his sentence. It is unclear when the parole board will meet to consider Pistorius for release, but it is unlikely that a new decision will be made before Friday’s initially planned release date. | Pistorius should have served 10 months, or one-sixth, of his five-year sentence before being considered for release, Mhaga said. But he was approved for parole in June, eight months into his sentence. It is unclear when the parole board will meet to consider Pistorius for release, but it is unlikely that a new decision will be made before Friday’s initially planned release date. |
| Ian Levitt, a lawyer who attended the trial, praised the minister’s intervention. “The minister was acting prudently, acting responsibly,” he told the eNews Channel Africa. “He did exactly what he is entitled to do. The ultimate decision rests with the minister.” | Ian Levitt, a lawyer who attended the trial, praised the minister’s intervention. “The minister was acting prudently, acting responsibly,” he told the eNews Channel Africa. “He did exactly what he is entitled to do. The ultimate decision rests with the minister.” |
| Masutha received a petition on Monday from the Progressive Women’s Movement of South Africa expressing opposition to the release of Pistorius during the country’s Women’s Month. Asked about the timing of his intervention, Masutha, speaking from Cape Town, explained: “Ordinarily I do not consider decisions of parole boards … In this instance I had representations two days ago from a women’s rights organisation which requested that I review the decision.” | |
| The organisation’s argument that Pistorius should not be released in Women’s Month was “not sound in law”, he added, but prompted him to study the parole decision and find fault in its timing. “I don’t go around looking at cases and checking whether they have been dealt with in compliance with the law. It’s only when a matter has been brought to my attention that I would deal with that.” | |
| A statement from the Department of Justice and Correctional Services cited a law stating that a person sentenced to imprisonment must serve at least one-sixth of his or her sentence before being considered for “correctional supervision”, a form of house arrest. It said: “The decision to release him on 21 August 2015 was made prematurely on 5 June 2015 when the offender was not eligible to be considered at all ... One-sixth of a five-year sentence is 10 months, and at the time the decision was made, Mr Pistorius had served only six months of his sentence.” | A statement from the Department of Justice and Correctional Services cited a law stating that a person sentenced to imprisonment must serve at least one-sixth of his or her sentence before being considered for “correctional supervision”, a form of house arrest. It said: “The decision to release him on 21 August 2015 was made prematurely on 5 June 2015 when the offender was not eligible to be considered at all ... One-sixth of a five-year sentence is 10 months, and at the time the decision was made, Mr Pistorius had served only six months of his sentence.” |
| Pistorius’s aunt, Lois, said: “We’ll wait for the people to decide. I’ve just heard the news and haven’t had time to think what I’m going to say. It’s not in my hands as Mrs Pistorius to comment or say anything about it.” Another family member, who did not wish to be named, said the family would accept the decision and seek legal advice on the available options. | Pistorius’s aunt, Lois, said: “We’ll wait for the people to decide. I’ve just heard the news and haven’t had time to think what I’m going to say. It’s not in my hands as Mrs Pistorius to comment or say anything about it.” Another family member, who did not wish to be named, said the family would accept the decision and seek legal advice on the available options. |
| The Women’s League of the governing African National Congress welcomed the ruling. It said: “The ANC Women’s League remains convinced that Judge [Thokozile] Masipa handed down an erroneous judgment and an extremely lenient sentence to Pistorius … setting a bad precedent in cases involving gender-based violence, especially in instances where women die at the hands of their partners. It is our wish that Pistorius remains in custody until November when the supreme court of appeal will hear the appeal brought by the NPA [National Prosecuting Authority] against the judgment and the sentence.” | The Women’s League of the governing African National Congress welcomed the ruling. It said: “The ANC Women’s League remains convinced that Judge [Thokozile] Masipa handed down an erroneous judgment and an extremely lenient sentence to Pistorius … setting a bad precedent in cases involving gender-based violence, especially in instances where women die at the hands of their partners. It is our wish that Pistorius remains in custody until November when the supreme court of appeal will hear the appeal brought by the NPA [National Prosecuting Authority] against the judgment and the sentence.” |
| Steenkamp’s parents, Barry and June, marked what would have been their daughter’s birthday on Wednesday by visiting a beach in Port Elizabeth where she used to walk. They said in a statement this week: “We are still struggling with coming to terms with losing our precious daughter Reeva and her loss is felt even more this week as we would have celebrated her 32nd birthday on 19 August. As a family, we want to continue to honour Reeva’s memory by focusing on the Reeva Rebecca Steenkamp Foundation, celebrating her life, what she stood for and the joy she brought into so many lives.” | Steenkamp’s parents, Barry and June, marked what would have been their daughter’s birthday on Wednesday by visiting a beach in Port Elizabeth where she used to walk. They said in a statement this week: “We are still struggling with coming to terms with losing our precious daughter Reeva and her loss is felt even more this week as we would have celebrated her 32nd birthday on 19 August. As a family, we want to continue to honour Reeva’s memory by focusing on the Reeva Rebecca Steenkamp Foundation, celebrating her life, what she stood for and the joy she brought into so many lives.” |
| Earlier this year, in a submission to the parole board that considered Pistorius’s release, the family made their feelings clear: “Statistics show that our society is under continuous attack from criminals and murderers. Incarceration of 10 months for taking a life is simply not enough. We fear that this will not send out the proper message and serve as the deterrent it should.” | Earlier this year, in a submission to the parole board that considered Pistorius’s release, the family made their feelings clear: “Statistics show that our society is under continuous attack from criminals and murderers. Incarceration of 10 months for taking a life is simply not enough. We fear that this will not send out the proper message and serve as the deterrent it should.” |
| Pistorius was acquitted of murder but convicted of culpable homicide, the South African equivalent of manslaughter, after a globally televised trial accepted his plea that he shot four times through a locked toilet door because he mistook Steenkamp for a burglar. | Pistorius was acquitted of murder but convicted of culpable homicide, the South African equivalent of manslaughter, after a globally televised trial accepted his plea that he shot four times through a locked toilet door because he mistook Steenkamp for a burglar. |