Decision to grant Oscar Pistorius parole postponed

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/05/decision-to-grant-oscar-pistorius-parole-postponed

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A decision to grant Oscar Pistorius parole has again been delayed in a long battle over whether the sprinter should be released early from a prison sentence for killing his girlfriend.

South Africa’s parole review board – the final recourse for parole disputes– met on Monday to determine whether Pistorius, 28, should be allowed out on house arrest. But the decision was postponed, meaning he will remain in jail.

“They’re going to refer the matter back to the (original) parole board,” said Brian Webber, a lawyer representing Pistorius, after the review board meeting.

The Paralympian was sentenced last year to five years in prison for killing model and law graduate Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day 2013, the culmination of a trial that attracted global headlines. He was found guilty of culpable homicide – a charge equivalent to manslaughter – after saying during the trial that he shot his girlfriend through a locked bathroom door because he mistook her for an intruder.

Related: How Oscar Pistorius's release from prison was blocked

Pistorius was due to leave prison in August until justice minister Michael Masutha made a last-minute intervention blocking his release. Masutha said the parole board had made a mistake when they approved Pistorius for early release, but his intervention has been widely criticised by legal experts.

“This process is becoming a little bit unfair because of political interference ... it just makes our administrative systems in South Africa look very poor,” said criminal lawyer Martin Hood.

“If a person has good behaviour and has served one sixth of their sentence, then there’s no reason not to grant them parole, it’s a tick-the-box exercise. What they’re doing is passing the buck.”

The latest delay means Pistorius could still be in jail next month when a court hears an appeal by prosecutors that could keep him behind bars for a minimum of 15 years.

Related: The Guardian view on the jailing of Oscar Pistorius: mirror to a nation | Editorial

The prosecutors are pursuing a murder conviction and a longer sentence, arguing that Pistorius deliberately killed Steenkamp after an argument. The hearing has been set for 3 November.

Reeva Steenkamp’s parents, who are convinced Pistorius murdered their daughter in a rage, have strongly opposed the athlete’s possible release, telling an Australian television channel in August he had ruined their lives.

“He killed her. He admits he killed her. She’s dead. Why didn’t he just let her walk away? Why?” Reeva’s mother June Steenkamp said in the interview.

Pistorius, known as the “Blade Runner” for the prosthetic legs he wore on the track, rose to fame when he raced against able-bodied competitors in the 2012 London Olympics.