TheCable

South African Olympic and Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius has been released on house arrest nearly one year after he was jailed for killing his girlfriend.

He was released on Monday evening, a day earlier than expected, a spokesman from the Kgosi Mampuru II correctional centre.

He is expected to spend the remainder of a five-year prison sentence at his uncle’s home in Pretoria.

He was transferred from his cell in the prison to the headquarters of the department of correctional services in the Poyntons building in central Pretoria, where he was processed.

From there, he was taken to Arnold Pistorius’s house in Waterkloof, an upmarket Pretoria suburb. He is likely to be considerably more comfortable there than in prison.

According to Guardian, the house is a three-storey converted Dutch Reformed church on a luxury estate and has a swimming pool.

A case lodged by the prosecution appealing that decision is due to be heard by the Supreme Court of Appeal on November 3.

Prosecutors say Pistorius should have instead been convicted of murder.

Speaking earlier to the BBC, Reeva Steenkamp’s cousin Kim Martin said the family might consider visiting Pistorius when the the time is “right”. But she also said she felt he was “getting off lightly”.

Meanwhile, a close family friend of the athlete said he was in poor physical shape, adding that his return to athletics would be unlikely.

If the prosecution is successful with their appeal next month, Pistorius could face a lengthy sentence back in prison.