Oscar Pistorius 'has become grey and bloated' during prison stint as he faces assassination fears upon release
4 January 2024, 16:09
Oscar Pistorius has turned into a grey and bloated shadow of the athlete he was before prison, with the killer paralympian due for release on Friday.
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The "blade runner", so named for his carbon-fibre legs he used to compete in London 2012, has been warned his life is at risk as he departs prison on parole.
The 37-year-old has served half his sentence of 13 years and five months for killing his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at home in Pretoria on Valentine's Day in 2013.
He shot the 29-year-old with a 9mm, later claiming her believed a burglar had broken in as prosecutors said he launched an attack in fury after a row.
During his sentence, he is reported to have gone grey and become "bloated", and a smoker.
He was initially convicted of culpable homicide, effectively manslaughter, before an appeal saw him convicted of murder.
He is due out on Friday and will be under supervision until the end of 2029.
Authorities are concerned not just about managing a violent offender out of prison, but making sure he is not killed in a revenge attack.
South Africa's Department of Correctional Services said details about his release would be kept secret.
"Disclosing such details may result in a security threat for the inmate and other stakeholders involved. Therefore, DCS has to carefully manage that particular risk," it said.
Pistorius is expected to end up living at an estate run by his property tycoon uncle Arnold, who effectively raised him after his mother died.
The property millionaire has brought in armed guards and attack dogs, with the three-storey, 12-bedroom home surrounded by razor wire and electric fences.
Pistorius's conditions include a requirement that he stays at home for most of the day and does not speak to journalists.
A spokesman said: "The reason is simple, we always have to protect the victims of crime.
"And at times things that people may say or some of the questions may push the boundaries a bit far. So to protect the victims of crime and also parolees, we say they can not engage with media."
Pistorius will also need to avoid drinking alcohol, as well as undertake anger management therapy and gender-based violence programmes.
A close friend of Barry Steenkamp, Reeva's father, who died last year, said this week: "It's common knowledge that Oscar was a target big-time for killing Reeva even before he went into prison, and those enemies have not gone away."
They said: "Oscar would not give him the truth while he was protected behind bars. But now that he is coming back out into the real world, he could be 'persuaded' to tell the truth."
