Oscar Pistorius is hoping to secure his release before a parole hearing on Friday.
The 36-year-old man has been behind bars since 2013, when he shot and killed girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on the eve of Valentine’s Day.
It was a case that shocked the world, with Pistorius being the poster boy of Paralympic sport at the time of the incident.
He was sentenced to 13 years and five months for the murder, with Steenkamp’s family still mourning the death of the 29-year-old. GB News now takes a look at his time behind bars.
Kgosi Mampuru II Maximum Security Prison
Oscar Pistorius was first transferred to Kgosi Mampuru II maximum security prison
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Pistorius’s first year in prison was spent in the notorious Kgosi Mampuru II maximum security prison, which houses some of South Africa’s most dangerous criminals.
Violent gangs reportedly rule the facility and Pistorius was protected during his tenure there.
Due to his fame and disability, he was kept in the hospital wing of the prison. Staff told the Daily Mail it was ‘very safe, very clean and nice and clean’.
However, despite the treatment given, the South African was unhappy with the conditions.
Pistorius got a bathroom built for him and also got his bed changed.
They worried that their food might contain poison and so they decided to buy processed food.
Pistorius was reportedly desperate to leave and feared returning when he was moved to a low-security prison.
atteridgeville prison
Oscar Pistorius was later transferred to Atteridgeville Prison in South Africa
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After a stay in Kgosi Mampuru II maximum security prison, the 36-year-old was moved to Atteridgeville Prison.
Described as ‘more suitable for him because of his disability’, it was believed that he was the only murderer kept there.
The facility housed only 1,000 convicts and had a ‘relaxed family atmosphere’.
One of Pistorius’ own relatives said it was ‘the best place to live as a prisoner’.
After being deemed low risk, they were given a specially adapted bathroom and allowed to grow their own food in the gardens.
Atteridgeville controversy
While Pistorius is serving time at Atteridge ahead of Friday’s parole hearing, his time there has not been without incident.
The Paralympian was allegedly involved in a fight with an inmate from a neighboring cell over the use of a public phone in 2017.
Prison staff said Pistorius was the only person injured in the brawl.
Prison spokesperson, Singbakho Nxumalo, said at the time: “It is alleged that he was involved in an altercation with another inmate over the use of a public phone in the special care unit where both offenders are detained at the Attridgeville Correctional Centre. Has gone.”
He also told the BBC that the department had ‘launched an investigation to establish the facts and ensure that appropriate action is taken as incidents of assault are unacceptable.’
turn to god
In 2018, reports said that Pistorius had adopted the role of a spiritual leader in prison.
He reportedly became the leader of a Bible group and was helping other prisoners convert to Christianity.
The athlete’s father Henke Pistorius said his son ‘has always been a child of God.’
He also said: “I have no doubt that Oscar has changed the environment in prison for the better, he is helping to mediate between people and making a positive impact.
“He can feel that he is making a difference to people who really need a change – to give their lives meaning, purpose and some hope.
“As a result, things have gotten better for them, too. It’s a wonderful story.”
Oscar Pistorius was involved in a prison controversy a few years ago
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“They’re bigoted people, problematic people in prison, but now they all meet once or twice a week to follow the Bible.”
In the same year, a Department of Correctional Services source said that Pistorius was a ‘model prisoner’.
He was quoted as saying: “The Oscar I got to know in prison is kind and caring about his fellow prisoners.
“He buys food for those who are not able to buy it or who are far away from their relatives. And he does this without asking for anything in return.”
He added: “Oscar also does not deny his actions and shows remorse every day without pretending or manipulating people’s opinions.
“This is the side he has shown in prison and people should stop judging him.
“He likes his privacy and spends most of his time reading and going to the prison library. He’s a real bookworm.”
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Steenkamp’s suffering
Oscar Pistorius murdered Reeva Steenkamp in 2013
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Reeva’s father Barry Steenkamp died in September.
He decided to meet with Pistorius before his death. However, he failed to get the answers he wanted and said that Pistorius still denied murder – insisting that he had mistaken Steenkamp for an infiltrator.
In February she said, “I told Oscar straight up that he intentionally shot my daughter and he denied it. He stuck to his story that he thought it was an intruder.”
“After all these years we are still waiting for him to admit that he did it out of anger. That’s all we wanted.”
“If he had told me the truth, he would have been a free man by now and I would have let the law take its course on his parole.
“But I was wasting my time. He’s a murderer. He should stay in jail.”
Reeva Steenkamp’s father met Oscar Pistorius but said he deserves to go to jail
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Reeva’s mother, June, has revealed that she could not attend the meeting because she did not want to go to jail herself.
“I couldn’t see myself moving forward without hurting him,” she said.
“I didn’t want to go to jail for attacking him. That would have been a huge possibility.
“Things have not gotten better. It is getting worse as time passes because we miss Riva every day that she is not with us.
“It’s very, very stressful that she couldn’t spend our last days with us because he took her.
“The Oscars have taken a lot away from us and from him.
Oscar Pistorius is hopeful he will be released as his parole hearing approaches on Friday
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“So now instead of being upset I feel angry. I’m angry at him. It’s a terrible thing to say, but I can’t stand him.”
“I don’t think he got enough time and if someone kills someone, he will have to pay the price with his life in jail.
“He has taken away her life from us. Everything that would have made us happy if she existed.
“Reeva was a wonderful daughter, and she never took any wrong step in her life. She never made us stress about anything. She was a perfect person and a loving person to both of us.”
“He’s gone, but we think about him all the time.
Reeva Steenkamp was just 29 years old at the time of her death
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“Those are the hardest things. She wanted to have kids and she wanted to get married. But she got involved with the wrong person.”
“I have also become another person. People ask me what defines me, and it is Reeva’s death.
“I’m not the same person. I feel like this and when I look in the mirror, I can’t see myself.”
“I’ve lost something huge in my life. It’s too much. She was everything to us. She was our whole life and now we don’t have her.”
“He never showed any remorse towards Barry. He’s a murderer.”
