South Africa's Pistorius allowed out of prison for grandmother's funeral

[August 17, 2017]    JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Oscar Pistorius, the South African Paralympic gold medalist serving a six-year jail term for murdering his girlfriend, was allowed out of prison on Wednesday to attend his maternal grandmother's funeral, correctional services said on Wednesday.

Olympic and Paralympic track star Oscar Pistorius leaves court after appearing for the 2013 killing of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, South Africa, June 14, 2016. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko/Files

"He applied for compassionate leave which was considered and approval was granted. He left this morning and he was back around 1:20 pm," spokesman for the Department of Correctional Services Singabakho Nxumalo said.

Media agency News24 reported that Pistorius was attending his grandmother Joyce Bekker's funeral in Johannesburg after she died of old-age related complications last Thursday.

Pistorius, who is serving his sentence at the Atteridgeville Correctional Centre, also left the facility two weeks ago when he was taken to hospital after falling ill. He spent a night at a near-by medical center before being discharged.

Spokeswoman for the Pistorius could not be reached for comment.

(Reporting by Mfuneko Toyana, editing by Pritha Sarkar)

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