When Oscar Pistorius was first charged with premeditated murder in the shooting death of his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, a judge imposed numerous bail restrictions on the double amputee Olympic hero that basically amounted to house arrest. He wasn’t allowed to travel, wasn’t allowed to consume alcohol and needed to be supervised by a probation official. This morning, all of those aforementioned restrictions were either eased or completely lifted.
According to ESPN, a judge for the North Gauteng High Court ruled that Pistorius is not a flight risk. Moving forward, he will be allowed to travel, provided he submits a detailed itinerary of exactly where he’s going to go ahead of time and what he’ll be doing there. This is extremely important because it will allow Pistorius to continue running and earning an income. Thus far, he’s been extremely apprehensive about the idea of training and competing again, but with months, maybe even an entire year, before he goes to trial, it’s likely his position on that will soften.
On February 14th, Pistorius and Steenkamp allegedly argued. Hours later, he shot her through the bathroom door. He claims he thought an intruder was inside the house and never meant to hurt his girlfriend, but prosecutors disagree. They think the tragic event was planned and would like to see him punished with a lengthy prison sentence.
With Pistorius’ brother also on trial and a neverending stream of headlines, the circus will likely follow Pistorius whever he goes. Here’s to hoping the court is able to see through the hype and find the truth, wherever that may be.
