The parole board, which met at Pistorius’ prison in a suburb of Pretoria on Friday, rejected the request of the former disabled athlete, said the lawyer for Steenkamp’s parents, Tania Koen.
However, his application will be re-examined in a year. Media from all over the world had gathered in front of the prison. Pistorius shot his then-girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp four times through the bathroom door of his villa on Valentine’s Day 2013. The 36-year-old has served regarding half of his 13-year, five-month sentence. Under South African law, this automatically entitles him to a parole hearing.
The Steenkamps have always questioned Oscar’s version of what happened that night, Koe said. The family has said repeatedly over the years that they do not support parole.
