Olympian Oscar Pistorius will be released from prison on parole

South African Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius who was imprisoned for the murder of his model girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, will be released after a successful parole bid on Friday, South Africa’s Department of Correctional Services said in a statement.

The former Paralympic champion is serving a sentence of over 13 years for the “culpable homicide” of Steenkamp, after he shot her at his home on Valentine’s Day in 2013. His televised trial made headlines around the world.

South Africa’s Ministry of Justice and Correctional Services said Pistorius would be released from prison on Jan. 5.

It said that the decision was made after having “assessed Mr. Pistorius’ profile and other material submitted for the purposes of parole consideration.” It added that he was a “first time offender” and had a “positive support system.”

Pistorius, 37, was dubbed the “blade runner” for his speed on carbon-fibre prosthetic legs after becoming a double amputee as a child. He won six Paralympic gold medals and became the first amputee runner to compete in the Olympics at the 2012 London Games and was hailed as a sporting champion.

Steenkamp was a model and paralegal. The couple had dated for several months before Pistorius fatally shot Steenkamp through a locked bathroom door in his apartment in Pretoria. He claimed in court that he had mistaken his girlfriend, then 29, for a burglar.

June and Barry Steenkamp, the parents of Reeva Steenkamp, were “shocked and surprised” when they were informed of an earlier possibility of Pistorius’s parole eligibility, Tania Koen, a lawyer for the victim’s family previously told The Washington Post. June had forgiven Pistorius “because of her faith,” Koen said, and Barry “finds it difficult but is ready to start a dialogue.”

Amy Cheng contributed to this report.