Pistorius 'To Be Freed From Jail In August'

Oscar Pistorius is likely to be freed in August as he faces an appeal over his sentence for killing his girlfriend, a family member has said.

The Paralympic and Olympic athlete, who fatally shot Reeva Steenkamp through a locked bathroom door with expanding hollow-point bullets, was handed a five-year jail sentence in October.

But a relative, who did not want to be named, said: "Oscar will be released on parole by the end of August."

Pistorius, 28, was found guilty of culpable homicide, a charge akin to manslaughter.

And Ms Steenkamp's family said in a letter to the parole board that "10 months for taking a life is simply not enough.

"We have forgiven Mr Pistorius even though he took the life of our precious daughter, Reeva," the letter said.

"Our lives will never be the same as we live with the sadness of her death every day. Reeva had so much to offer this world and we were all robbed of her life when she was killed.

"As her family, we do not seek to avenge her death and we do not want Mr Pistorius to suffer; that will not bring her back to us. However, a person found guilty of a crime must be held accountable for their actions.

"Statistics show that our society is under continuous attack from criminals and murderers. Incarceration of 10 months for taking a life is simply not enough. We fear that this will not send out the proper message and serve as the deterrent it should."

South African prosecutors want the sentence increased and are preparing to go to court in November , according to a Supreme Court official.

"A specific date has not been set yet, but we can confirm that the appeal will happen in November this year," the official told AFP.

State prosecutors were granted permission to appeal against the verdict, arguing that Judge Thokozile Masipa misinterpreted the law when she ruled Pistorius did not intentionally kill Ms Steenkamp.

Pistorius's legal team unsuccessfully tried to stop the appeal, saying the conviction was based on facts presented during the trial and therefore could not be challenged.

The state argued he deliberately killed Ms Steenkamp, a 29-year-old law graduate and reality television star, after an argument.

If an appeals court finds him guilty of murder, the athlete - known as the Blade Runner for the prosthetic legs he wears on the track - could face at least 15 years in jail.

Pistorius, the first double-amputee athlete to compete at the Olympic Games in London in 2012, was jailed after a lengthy trial that made headlines across the world.