Published11. April 2024, 3:55 p.m.
South Africa: “Oscar Pistorius is only a shadow of himself”
Life after prison turns out to be complicated for the ex-Paralympic athlete: no one wants to give him work and his former friends have cut ties.
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As part of his conditional placement until 2029, the thirty-year-old must notably undergo therapy on anger management and violence against women.
AFP
Three months after his release from prison, Oscar Pistorius is struggling to reintegrate into society. According to «New York Post», the 37-year-old South African lives cloistered in his uncle’s luxurious house in Pretoria, and his old circle of friends no longer wants anything to do with him. The 30-year-old is said to have contacted at least two members of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) in the hope of getting a job. The ex-athlete would have, each time, hit a wall. “He’s too toxic to work with. There is nothing for him here,” a member of the IPC confided to the New York media.
While waiting to find a job, Oscar Pistorius works voluntarily in the church his uncle attends. He takes care of maintenance and attends religious services. “I almost didn’t recognize him. His hair is longer and he has a beard. And it’s not as “fit” as you might think. You wouldn’t say he was an athlete. He’s just not the same,” confides a woman who spotted the 30-year-old at church last month. “He’s not nice, not open. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen him smile. He is nothing more than a shadow of himself,” slips a parishioner.
No social networks, no interviews
Oscar Pistorius became a national hero in 2012, when he became the first amputee athlete to qualify for the track and field events for the Olympics. But six months later, on February 14, 2013, the South African killed his partner Reeva Steenkamp by shooting her several times through her bathroom door. Sentenced on appeal to thirteen years in prison, the ex-athlete served more than half of his sentence before being released on parole in January.
The property Pistorius lives in is guarded by armed men, security fences and dogs. The 30-year-old is not required to wear an electronic device, but a probation officer conducts checks at random times, both during the day and in the middle of the night. The South African must submit to alcohol and drug tests. He is not allowed to contact Reeva Steenkamp’s family, must stay away from social media and is banned from giving interviews and writing a book.