(CNN) Disgraced South African Paralympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius was denied parole on Friday, according to local authorities who said he has not yet completed his minimum sentence.
Under South African law, inmates can be considered for parole after serving half their sentence if they meet certain conditions, such as good prison behaviour.
The former Olympic sprinter shot his partner Reeva Steenkamp four times through the bathroom door of their home in 2013, denying killing her in a fit of rage and saying he had mistaken her for an intruder. He was originally sentenced to 13 years and five months in prison.
A South African Correctional Services spokesman, Singabakho Nxumalo, told CNN Pistorius’s request for parole was not granted because he was not yet eligible, an issue clarified by the country’s top appeals court earlier this week.
“Mr. Pistorius has been granted an additional profile by the parole board for August 2024 and the reason behind that is that Mr. Pistorius is still required to serve a minimum period of detention as per the clarification order provided by the Supreme Court of Appeals, which was only provided to the department on March 28, 2023,” Nxumalo said.
Pistorius must now continue serving his sentence until a new parole hearing in August 2024.
The parole board’s decision was quickly hailed by Steenkamp’s parents, who had opposed an early release, according to his attorney.
“While we welcome today’s decision, today is no cause for celebration. We miss Reeva terribly and will for the rest of our lives. We believe in justice and hope that it continues to prevail,” her lawyer Tania Koen told CNN.
In 2018, the athlete’s father, Henke Pistorius, told the british newspaper times who led Bible classes and prayer groups for inmates, including the jail’s most feared gang leader.
To be eligible for parole, Pistorius had to participate in South Africa’s “Restorative Justice” process, which gives offenders the opportunity to “acknowledge and take responsibility for their actions.”
A trial followed around the world
The athlete, once feted as an inspirational figure after competing in the 2012 Olympics, became the focus of an event that was followed around the world.
During the trial, Pistorius pleaded not guilty to one count of murder and one count of firearms associated with Steenkamp’s murder.
Prosecutors argued that her murder was deliberate and that the shooting occurred after the couple had an argument.
He frequently broke down in court and his past behavior was closely scrutinized.
Pistorius was convicted of manslaughter in 2014 and sentenced to five years. But a higher court vacated the conviction and changed it to murder a year later, increasing his sentence to six years in prison.
The ruling was appealed by prosecutors who argued that the sentence was too lenient. Pistorius’ sentence was increased to 13 years and five months by the South African Supreme Court of Appeal in 2017.
