Oscar attended grandmother’s funeral
OSCAR Pistorius got out of prison for four hours on Friday after being granted compassionate leave to attend the funeral of his grandmother.
He joined his family for the memorial service for Gerti Pistorius, leaving Kgosi Mampuru II Prison in Pretoria around 8am and returning at noon.
“Offender Pretorius” was taken to the service by the Correctional Services Emergency Support Team, an elite security unit of the Department of Correctional Services, Correctional Services spokesperson Manelisi Wolela said.
The other security details involved were not being divulged, Wolela added.
Pistorius’s request to attend the funeral was granted because he was classified as a low-risk prisoner.
Wolela said that additional to these conditions, the head of a correctional centre had discretion based on the conduct and behaviour of an applicant.
It was important to note that compassionate leave was granted for the attendance of funerals and/or a serious sickness where it involved a relative.
The application was processed in accordance with the departmental policy on amenities of inmates, detailing a number of privileges for offenders “and introduced primarily to encourage offenders towards good behaviour”.
It was also “to instil a sense of responsibility in them and to ensure their interest and co-operation in social reintegration programmes, while ensuring that public safety is not compromised”.