Tuesday 17 February 2015

Oscar Pistorius given new prison perks including permission to hug and kiss visitors

The killer Paralympian will also be allowed a bigger cash allowance, a radio for his room and to make more phone calls. Paralympian killer Oscar Pistorius has been awarded a series of prison perks after justice chiefs decided he poses little risk to security. The 28-year-old was jailed for five years in October after he was convicted of killing his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in the early hours of Valentine's Day 2013. Instead of a strict 'no touching’ policy, Pistorius will now be able to hug and kiss visitors as category A prisoner. He can also own a radio, wear jewellery, make more phone calls, take up a hobby and have a bigger budget to buy toiletries and snacks. Authorities at the Kgosi Mampuru prison in the South African capital, Pretoria, relaxed the terms of his incarceration after deciding he poses little threat to security. A family source told MailOnline: "This has boosted him a lot. He has been very low in prison, although he seems to be getting all the support from the prison authorities that he needs. "His new status means he will be able to have more visits – there are a lot of family members who would like to go and see him, but in the past have stayed away so that it is mostly Carl, Aimee, his aunt and grandmother who take the allocated slots." Recently, prosecutors confirmed they are pushing ahead with plans to appeal Pistorius' culpable homicide conviction for killing Steenkamp. South African prosecutors - who want the Paralympian to instead be convicted for murder - revealed it had filed papers to the High Court as the two-year anniversary of Steenkamp's death approaches. He was cleared of her murder, but found guilty of culpable homicide - or manslaughter. However prosecutors plan to challenge the decision, and have been given permission to appeal. They will now seek a murder conviction and, if successful, the Blade Runner faces 15 years in jail.

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