The planned probation hearing for the former top athlete Oscar Pistorius, who was convicted of manslaughter, was followed with excitement in South Africa on Friday. Media from all over the world gathered in front of the prison. They hoped to get a glimpse of the behind-closed-doors session in the capital, Pretoria. It was initially unclear whether the hearing had already begun.

On the night of Valentine's Day 2013, Pistorius killed his then-girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp with four shots through the bathroom door of his villa. The 36-year-old has served about half of his 13-year, five-month sentence. Under South African law, this automatically entitles him to a parole hearing.

According to a statement by Pistorius himself, the parole board wanted to interview the mother of the killed Reeva Steenkamp. It's a very stressful day, mother June Steenkamp said when she arrived in front of the prison building. "It will be very difficult to sit in the same room with him [Oscar Pistorius]," she said in front of the cameras. The Steenkamp family will plead against parole. Pistorius has shown no remorse and there are still open questions that he did not answer in court at the time. "We never believed him," said Steenkamp. Ten years after the fact, the Steenkamps still mourned their daughter every day, said the parents' legal representative, Tania Koen: "Time has not healed their wounds."

According to the corrections authority, the committee may not reach a decision on the same day. Should he not be paroled, Pistorius has the right to request an appeal.