"Oscar Pistorius Parole Sparks Controversy Amid South Africa's Femicide Crisis"

Samantha Jonker, a lifelong friend of Reeva Steenkamp, has criticized the decision to release Oscar Pistorius on parole after he served less than half of his 13-and-a-half-year sentence for the murder of Steenkamp. Jonker, along with anti-violence campaigners, believes that Pistorius's release sends a wrong message about the consequences of gender-based violence in South Africa. Pistorius, a former Paralympic athlete, shot Steenkamp through a locked bathroom door in 2013, claiming he mistook her for an intruder. His initial conviction of culpable homicide was later upgraded to murder. Pistorius must now adhere to strict parole conditions, including anger management courses, abstaining from alcohol, and not handling weapons.