Oscar Pistorius is now a free man after being released from prison on Friday, nearly 11 years on from the shocking murder of Reeva Steenkamp.
It was Valentine’s Day in 2013 when the South African opened fire four times, killing his model girlfriend as she was locked inside a bathroom.
Pistorius has always insisted he didn’t mean to kill Reeva, repeatedly saying he mistook her for an intruder.
Yet after initially being charged with manslaughter the South African’s conviction was upgraded to murder.
Oscar Pistorius has been released from prison 11 years on from the death of Reeva Steenkamp
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He has not been seen since and, as he now prepares for a new life with his uncle Arnold, he’s likely to keep public outings to a minimum.
On Friday, Pistorius was driven out of the Atteridgeville prison where he’s spent the last few years locked up.
He went to his uncle’s house, which has been fortified with armed guards possessing attack dogs ready to act if there’s even a hint of trouble.
Pistorius, per the BBC, was greeted by family members.
And flowers were sent to the former Paralympian as well, with a courier spotted dropping them off.
As part of his parole conditions, the man once known as the Blade Runner is unable to speak to the media.
He will not be permitted to drink alcohol or use drugs, too. A breach of any these terms could result in him one day being put behind bars again.
Pistorius could become a preacher, having reportedly found God during his stint in prison.
In 2018 it was claimed he was helping other inmates with Christianity, with his father Henke saying at the time: “I have no doubt that Oscar has changed the environment in the prison for the better, he is helping to mediate between people and is having a positive influence.
“He can feel he is making a difference to others who really needed a difference to be made — to give their lives meaning, purpose and some hope.
“As a result, things have also improved for him. It’s a wonderful story.
“They are hardcore chaps, the problem people in the prison, but now they are all meeting to follow the Bible once or twice a week.”
There have also been reports saying Pistorius was a ‘model prisoner’ as he served his sentence.
He could turn to manual labour, with Arnold boasting a farm. Pistorius grew his own vegetables throughout his time in prison.
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Oscar Pistorius and Reeva Steenkamp pictured together before the tragic shooting
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But while his life goes on, Reeva’s does not.
Pistorius is now in the spotlight but it is the woman he murdered who deserves sympathy and pity, as well as her mother June.
Barry Steenkamp, Reeva’s father, died back in September. He died having never understood Pistorius’ actions, with the convicted killer always sticking with the same story: that it was a tragic accident.
June’s pain and suffering will go on but she has managed to forgive Pistorius, admitting her Christian faith guides her.
“My Christianity requires me to forgive,” she told the Daily Mail earlier this week.
Oscar Pistorius left prison on Friday in a van
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“I forgave Oscar a long time ago. I forgive for my own sake, not for his.
“Forgiveness does not mean he must not pay for what he has done.
“Oscar did not only take Reeva’s life when he killed Reeva in cold blood, he also took Barry and my life. Our joy, our future grandchildren.
“He also took our privacy away.
“We have been criticised and insulted by some members of the public, who had victimised Barry and I, as if we had been the ones who did something wrong.
“(It was like) as if we had been the ones to pull the trigger four times through a closed door and killed an innocent person.”
Oscar Pistorius has always denied he murdered Reeva Steenkamp, insisting the shooting was a tragic accident
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She has, however, lost hope of Pistorius ever ‘disclosing the truth’.
“I have lost any hope that Oscar Pistorius will ever disclose the truth of what happened that night,” she stated.
The story remains tragic. Pistorius getting out doesn’t change that.
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