Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius was granted bail after being convicted of the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
NBC News reported that Oscar Pistorius was granted bail for $688. The athlete, also known as "The Blade Runner", was convicted of culpable homicide after he was found guilty for the murder of his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. The horrific murder happened in Pistorius' home in South Africa on Valentine's Day 2013.
The Olympian is facing at least 15 years of imprisonment, but a new sentence will be determined at a later date. His defense attorney Barry Roux managed to push for bail with Judge Aubrey Ledbawa under the agreement that the athlete would remain in house arrest but with "stricter provisions".
The terms of his bail include permission to leave his house between 7 a.m. to 12 noon everyday within a 12-mile radius. He would also need written permission to leave, which will either be approved or denied.
The judge also added that Pistorius needs to hand over his passport and travel documents. The athlete would also need to submit to electric monitoring. His defense lawyer revealed that Pistorius plans to appeal his case to his country's Constitutional Court.
Many are curious about the reaction of Reeva Steenkamp's parents, especially with the court's decision to give Pistorius bail. However, in one of her speeches, Steenkamp's mother said that she doesn't want revenge and doesn't want to hurt Pistorius.
"I've got no feelings of revenge. I don't want to hurt him; he is already a disabled person," Steenkamp said. "I didn't want him to be thrown in jail and be suffering because I don't wish suffering on anyone, and that's not going to bring Reeva back."
Steenkamp's mother insisted on forgiveness, and that they have to move on from the tragedy that happened in their family, The Guardian reported.
"I don't want revenge towards him. I'm past that. Once you have told God that you forgive, you have to forgive. And I don't want him to suffer .... I would certainly not want to hurt another human being," Steenkamp said.
Steenkamp also revealed the first time she learned about her daughter's relationship with Pistorius. The mother admitted that she wasn't sure if the two were compatible from the beginning. She confessed that Reeva has opened up to her several times about Pistorius' controlling behaviour about her and their relationship.
Pistorius pleaded not guilty for the murder of Reeva Steenkamp. To his defense, the athlete said that he mistook Steenkamp to be an intruder inside his bathroom. He shot four times through the door, with three bullets hitting Steenkamp.
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