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The Killing of Reeva Steenkamp by Oscar Pistorius

This case file describes a real crime. Details are presented factually and without graphic description, for informational purposes.
Editorial archive illustration for The Killing of Reeva Steenkamp by Oscar Pistorius

On Valentine's Day 2013, South African Paralympic and Olympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius shot and killed his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp, through a locked bathroom door at his home in Pretoria. Pistorius maintained he mistook her for an intruder.

Trial and appeals

Pistorius was initially convicted of culpable homicide, a charge roughly comparable to manslaughter, in 2014. Prosecutors appealed, and after further proceedings, he was ultimately convicted of murder and sentenced to 13 years and 5 months in prison in 2017.

Parole

Pistorius was released on parole in January 2024 after serving nearly nine years, under conditions that include attending anger management and gender-based violence counseling. Steenkamp's family has said they do not believe he has taken full responsibility for her death.