Former Paralympian and convicted murderer Oscar Pistorius has found a new purpose in prison, leading a Bible study and prayer group and harvesting vegetables, his father Henke has told The Times UK.
Pistorius was convicted in 2013 February for the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkam.
In July 2016, he was sentenced to six years in prison for murder, even though the prosecution had called for a minimum prison sentence for murder, which is 15 years behind bars.
News24 previously reported that the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) in Bloemfontein increased his sentence to 13 years in November 2017. Taking into account the time he had already served behind bars.
December 2018 marked the second Christmas that Pistorius has spent in prison. He has another five years before he will become eligible for parole in 2023.
His father said Pistorius is doing well in prison and has been in a better place since his conviction. He also added that his son was having a positive spiritual impact on his fellow inmates, and that he also had his own garden inside the prison.
In the meantime, he has become committed to serving other inmates, providing them with good Christian knowledge, and offering hope to those who are in need of it, his father said.
Henke Pistorius told The Times UK that Oscar “is making a difference to others who really needed a difference to be made”.
“As a result, things have also improved for him.”
Earlier in April 2018, the Constitutional Court dismissed Pistorius’ leave to appeal his 13-year sentence, which was welcomed by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
Leave a Reply