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After being released from prison just two months ago, Paralympian Oscar Pistorius will return behind bars. Pistorius shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp dead in 2013 and was charged with culpable homicide. Prosecutors appealed for his charge to be changed to murder, and a panel of judges agreed.
The judges ruled it a murder
Initially, Pistorius’ defense was that he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder was accepted. But prosecutors pointed out that, in South African law, this is irrelevant. The question is whether or not he knew his actions would result in the death of whoever he fired at. South Africa’s Supreme Court Judge Eric Leach said:
“In these circumstances, although he may have been anxious, it is inconceivable that a rational person could have believed he was entitled to fire at this person with a heavy calibre firearm, without taking even that most elementary precaution of firing a warning shot.”
He compared it to someone setting off a bomb in a public place not knowing who the victims might be. There were also inconsistencies in Pistorius’ story: how did he not notice that Steenkamp was not in the bed? Why did he not talk to her before shooting?
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A tragedy
The panel of five judges were unanimous in the decision. In a written report of the judgment, the court called the Pistorius case a human tragedy of Shakespearean proportions. Justice Leach said:
“A young man overcomes huge physical disabilities to reach Olympian heights as an athlete; in doing so he becomes an international celebrity; he meets a young woman of great natural beauty and a successful model; romance blossoms; and then, ironically on Valentine’s Day, all is destroyed when he takes her life.”
The Steenkamp family is relieved
When the verdict was read, Reeva’s mother, June, embraced family members with tears in her eyes.
“For us as a family, we can get on with our lives now and I hope his family can get on with their lives now,” Reeva’s father Barry said. “I am sure that Reeva is up there watching it and now she’s saying ‘justice was done’. I am sure she’ll be able to rest well now,” he added.
Back to prison?
Prosecutors have called for Pistorius to appear in court as soon as possible to set the bail amount. The minimum sentence for murder in South Africa is 15 years though judges can use some discretion. Pistorius is currently on house arrest, but South African law does not allow someone to be placed under house arrest for more than five years. However, there is a possibility to appeal the new sentence. The next step would be to appeal the case to the Constitutional Court, which is the highest court in South Africa, and argue that Pistorius received an unfair trial. In order to overturn the verdict, the lawyers would have to prove that their client’s constitutional rights were violated.The Pistorius family said that they will work with their attorneys and consider all legal options.
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