Oscar Pistorius will be under house arrest starting this August, 10 months after he received his 5-year sentence for killing his ex-girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. To date, the court's decision for releasing Pistorius has caused outrage from people in South Africa and other nations.
According to The Guardian, if Pistorius was initially convicted of murder, he would not be able to leave the prison. However, in South Africa, one is allowed to be under house arrest if the original sentence did not exceed 5 years provided that he or she has already served 1/6 of his or her term in jail. Steenkamp's parents have written a letter stating that they believe that a 10 - month service inside the prison is not a sufficient punishment for killing their daughter.
Pistorius, as reported by People, has shot his ex-girlfriend through a locked bathroom door on Valentine's day, two years ago. The double amputee claimed that he thought Steenkamp was a burglar provided that the area is notorious for violent crimes. However, this story was not accepted by a lot of people.
The paralympian's legs were amputated even before he reached his first birthday. His being disabled was used by the defence team stating that someone as fragile as Pistorius could be extremely afraid for his life.
Many people think that the house arrest would be favorable to any convicted person. However, some experts believe that having a house arrest is very much different from parole. As cited from News 24, if one is under house arrest, he would be monitored and that the supervision will be extremely strict. But there are also opposing views stating that being in a house arrest is far better than sitting in jail. And given that Pistorius family is well-off, the comforts of his own home is more than enough.
By November of this year, Oscar Pistorius might face murder charges as Prosecutors were able to appeal the original verdict.
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