Ex-South African Paralympian Pistorius released on parole after spending nearly 9 years in jail

​​​​​​​By Hassan Isilow

JOHANNESBURG (AA) – Former South African Paralympian Oscar Pistorius was released on parole 11 years after he shot dead his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, authorities said on Friday.

The Department of Correctional Services confirmed in a statement that Pistorius was admitted to the Community Corrections system and is now at home.

Pistorius has spent nearly nine years in prison, including a later-overturned 2014 sentence for culpable homicide, a step below murder.

In 2017, the Supreme Court of Appeal condemned him to 13 years and five months in prison for Steenkamp's murder.

On Valentine's Day, Feb. 14, 2013, the athlete shot his girlfriend four times with a handgun through a locked bathroom door in his home in the capital Pretoria. This shattered his blooming superstar sporting career.

The double-amputee, known as Blade Runner for his athletic achievements on prosthetic legs, said at the time that he mistook his girlfriend for an intruder when he opened fire at their home.

Pistorius won a gold medal at the Athens Paralympic Games at age of 17, turning him into a national hero.

In 2012, he became the first amputee runner to compete in the Olympics.