Oscar Pistorius to be moved to house arrest after serving less than a year in jail

New Delhi: Infamous South African Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius, who was found guilty of culpable homicide in the killing of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, will be released on parole and moved to house arrest on October 20.

The South African Department of Correctional Services said in a statement on Thursday that the 28-year-old would spend the next four years under house arrest and “correctional supervision.”

Pistorius was sentenced to five years in prison in 2014 after being found guilty of culpable homicide, or manslaughter. He shot Steenkamp through a locked bathroom door but said he thought she was an intruder. He has spent 12 months in jail.

Hearing on Pistorious' request, the parole board made its decision in the face of pressure from Steenkamp’s family, who have argued that the convict had not served enough time in prison for the killing.

Earlier in August, South Africa's justice minister, Michael Masutha, intervened to delay Pistorius’s scheduled release, saying he had not yet served the minimum one-sixth portion of his sentence, and also the decision has been made "prematurely".

During his house arrest, the double-amputee athlete is likely to face restrictions in terms of gun ownership and may have to continue getting psychotherapy.

Pistorious became a global celebrity after representing South Africa at both the Olympics and Paralympics in London in 2012.

(With Agency inputs)