South Africa: Oscar Pistorius to stay in jail as parole decision delayed

Oscar Pistorius is set to remain in jail after a parole decision was referred back to original board on 5 October, confirmed the paralympian's lawyer. The news follows South Africa's Parole Review Board (PRB) meeting that decided to postpone the decision to grant Pistorius' early release on house arrest.

The 28-year-old paralympian had escaped murder charges when Pretoria High Court Judge Thokozile Masipa sentenced Pistorius to five years for the culpable homicide of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. Pistorius was to be released from jail on 21 August on probation after serving 10 months of his five-year prison term, however South Africa's Justice Minister Michael Masutha ruled against it saying the correct procedure has not been followed.

"They're going to refer the matter back to the [original] parole board," said Pistorius' lawyer Brian Webber after the review board meeting, reported The Telegraph. In a statement by the PRB, Pistorius was also ordered to receive psychotherapy, regardless of whether or not he is released on house arrest in an attempt to tackle the factors that could have led the paralympian to shoot on Valentine's Day in 2013.

Meanwhile, an appeal to seek a murder conviction against Pistorius has been scheduled for November. If the appeal ends with a re-trial and Pistorius is found guilty of murder, the blade runner could face a prison term of at least 15 years. Earlier, Pistorius' lawyer Barry Roux has said that if a new trial is set, public scrutiny will "contaminate and confuse" the objectivity of the rulings.

Steenkamp's parents have spoken against the possibility of granting Pistorius an early release. In an interview with an Australian television channel, Steenkamp's mother, June said, reported France24 News: "He killed her. He admits he killed her. She's dead. Why didn't he just let her walk away? Why?"