Olympic and Paralympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius, who was charged with the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp last month, has been granted permission to travel outside of South Africa, and no longer needs to report to his probation officer.
Pistorius’s lawyers argued that the athlete was being treated like a flight risk, even though the courts determined he wasn’t one during his hearing. They added that might need to return to competition in order to start earning money again, and said while Pistorius had no desire to compete now, “this might and this will change.”
Pistorius isn’t free and clear to travel, however. His passport will be held by the courts and he’ll need to submit travel plans at least a week in advance, and then return his passport within 24 hours after touching back down in South Africa.
Last month, the prosecution charged Pistorius with premeditated murder, saying Pistorius knew Steenkamp was in the bathroom when he shot her three times through the door the morning of February 14. But Pistorius wrote in a statement that he heard a noise in the bathroom that he thought was an intruder, grabbed his gun, and fired before considering it might have been Steenkamp. He saw that he had shot her, called paramedics, and carried her downstairs for help, where she died in his arms.
The original restrictions handed down by the South African Magistrate barred Pistorius from leaving Pretoria without permission. No word on the other bail restrictions, but it’s assumed he’s still not allowed to use firearms, must stay away from his home, and must refrain from using drugs and alcohol.
Pistorius wasn’t required to be at the hearing Thursday and neither he nor his family showed. His trial was adjourned until June 4. No one is certain if and when he’ll re-enter competitions, but he likely hopes to train for the World Championships this August in Moskva, Russia.
