World News for Students of English

11-01-2024 07:00

Former South African Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius has been released on parole almost 11 years after the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Pistorius, known as the ‘Blade Runner’ for his prosthetic legs, shot Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day in 2013, claiming he mistook her for an intruder. Repeated appeals against his conviction were based on this defense. Despite spending about eight and a half years in jail and seven months under house arrest, Pistorius was granted parole by a board in November. The Steenkamp family expressed their grief, emphasizing the irreplaceable loss of Reeva.

Pistorius is now a parolee and must be monitored until his sentence concludes in December 2029. He is required to undergo anger management therapy and participate in gender-based violence sessions as part of his parole conditions.

Difficult words: parole (the release of a prisoner before the completion of their sentence, subject to certain conditions), conviction (the act of officially being found guilty of a particular crime), parolee (the person who is released from prison on parole).

You can watch the video news lower on this page.