“I almost didn’t recognize him,” “He has longer hair and a beard,” “He’s not as thin as I expected,” “You’d never know he was an athlete,” “He’s a shadow of what he once was .” This is what they say about Oscar Pistorius who recently saw him cleaning the floors of a church.
The two sources who spoke to the New York Post about the former Olympic athlete’s present are Aida Govender, a simple witness, and a pastor. “He’s not friendly or outgoing. I don’t even know if I saw him smile,” the latter explained.
The 37-year-old femicide, famous for being the first double amputee athlete to compete in the Olympic Games (London 2012, in his case), was released on parole on January 5 after serving practically half his sentence for the murder of his partner . then girlfriend, Reeva Steempkamp.
From London to prison
On February 14, 2013, exactly Valentine’s Day, Pistorius killed Steenkamp by shooting him with a firearm through the bathroom door of his home.
On January 5, Pistorius was released on parole. Photo: REUTERSAt his murder trial, Pistorius said he mistook his girlfriend for an intruder. In October 2015, however, Justice reserved him the first setback: he was sentenced to 5 years in prison for manslaughter.
He received the final slap two years later, after the Prosecutor’s Office had appealed and the South African Supreme Court of Appeal had reviewed the case and found him guilty of homocide. In November 2017, His sentence was increased to 15 years..
Pistorius’ life today
The church where Pistorius carries out maintenance and cleaning work.On January 5, Pistorius was released from Atteridgeville Correctional Center in Pretoria on good behavior. In a few years he will finish his sentence under house arrest, a benefit that can only be maintained if he does not break a series of harsh restrictions.
Pistorius lives in his uncle’s villa in the exclusive Praetorian suburb of Waterkloof. He lives with security personnel who monitor him day and night, both with electronic defenses and with the help of numerous attack dogs.
According to the New York Post, Pistorius has contacted at least two members of the International Paralympic Committee in recent weeks to ask if they could work together. The response was forceful: NO. “It’s too toxic to work with him now. There is nothing for him here,” one of the respondents told American media.
Oscar Pistorius was the first double amputee to compete in the Olympic Games. Photo: ReutersAccording to parole records, Pistorius is working as a volunteer NG Kerk Waterkloof -the Dutch church mentioned at the beginning of this article- carries out maintenance and cleaning tasks.
Who was Reeva Steemkamp?
Pistorius’ victim was 29 when she was killed at her boyfriend’s home. She was South African, worked as a model and was part of a reality show at the time of her death.
Steemkamp grew up in a small town in Cape Town and moved to Port Elizabeth to study law, where he graduated shortly thereafter.
Reeva Steemkamp was a South African model. Photo: APAfter his murder, her mother forgave Pistorius and created the Reeva Steenkamp Foundation to help prevent cases similar to her daughter’s.
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.