Paralympic champion on parole: What’s the latest on Oscar Pistorius?
Twenty years ago, Oscar Pistorius made his Paralympics debut in Athens. Now, he is a convicted murderer, living away from the public eye.
It’s been 20 years since Oscar Pistorius made his breakout debut at the Paralympics, which are currently taking place in Paris, France.
Today, the former gold medallist is on parole after murdering his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, in 2013.
Oscar was given an early release in January, where he will serve the remainder of his sentence under strict restrictions, which will remain in effect until 2029.
The 37-year-old is currently residing at his uncle Arnold Pistorius’ Waterkloof home in Pretoria. He has also volunteered to be his local church’s caretaker.
Meanwhile, Reeva’s friends and family recently celebrated her 41st birthday.
WHERE IS OSCAR PISTORIUS NOW?
In pictures posted by MailOnline in April, Oscar Pistorius was spotted for the first time since his parole release on 5 January.
The former Paralympic champion was seen smiling as he made his way to his parole office at a nearby correctional centre. Later, he was spotted in a grey SUV running errands around town.
The pictures quickly went viral, and many supporters of the star athlete shared their joy at seeing him have another lease on life and freedom. Others, like Reeva Steenkamp’s friends and family, expressed their disdain for seeing him out and about in public.
According to the Mirror, Oscar Pistorius is keeping a low profile at his uncle’s Pretoria home, where he has been subjected to strict parole conditions. They include:
- Limited travel and home confinement
- Not consuming alcohol or possessing any dangerous weapons
- Not speaking to the media or having any social media presence
- Attend therapy to deal with anger and gender-based violence issues
- Forbidden from contacting Reeva Steenkamp’s family
These conditions will remain in place until his sentence expires in 2029.
The publication added that while Oscar does not have to wear an electronic tag, he does receive frequent visits from parole officers, who carry out random checks and drug and alcohol tests.
Oscar Pistorius has also swapped his previous glamorous life for one out of the spotlight. He now volunteers as a caretaker at his local church – NG Kerk Waterkloof.
According to Juig Nuus, Oscar was welcomed into the Dutch Reformed family church, where he “stays in the background as much as possible.”
FORMER PARALYMPIC GLORY
Twenty years ago, Oscar Pistorius won gold in the men’s 200m and bronze in the 100m at the 2004 Athens Paralympics.
At the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing, Oscar won gold in the 100m, 200m, and 400m. At the 2012 Paralympics in London, he won gold in the 400m and 4 x 100 m relay and silver in the 200m.
Oscar had other notable achievements, winning gold in the 100m and 200m, in the 2005 Paralympic World Cup. At the Paralympic World Championships in 2011, he won gold in the 4x100m relay.
Oscar would also compete in able-body competitions like the World Athletic Champions (previously IAAF), where he won silver in the 4x400m relay. At the 2012 African Championships, he won silver in both the 400m and the 4x100m relay.