Finally, celebrated athlete Oscar Pistorius has got what he deserved. Top South African court has found him guilty of murdering his girlfriend and model Reeva Steenkamp in the early hours of Valentine’s Day in 2013. The double amputee athlete had been awarded a lighter sentence by a lower court that found him guilty of manslaughter, a crime amounting to culpable homicide not amounting to murder. After spending a year in jail, he was released to serve house arrest for five years at his uncle’s home in Pretoria.
The latest judgment comes as a big relief to the Steenkamp family, which had been wallowing in the quagmire created by the case that drew global media attention because of the celebrity status of the sportsman. The complexity of the trial and the media spotlight led to Pistorius’ background being torn into and his traits brought under the scanner. Here was the celebrated runner, in the dock in the murder case of his girlfriend. The prosecution tried to paint him as an individual given to outbursts of uncontrolled rage. He was shown as a trigger-happy man who, on an occasion, didn’t hesitate to fire a handgun inside a restaurant. It became quite clear that Pistorius, often referred to as the blade runner, had a fiery temper. He now needs to pay for his despicable deed with a longer sentence in prison that could reach 15 years.
While delivering the verdict, the judge called the case a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions. The judgment sets a good precedent for the South African legal system that has to deal with crime on a large scale. The judgment will certainly bring closure to the family of Steenkamp. The slain model’s father had earlier said he wanted to meet Pistorius and look him in the eye.
The case has brought the runner to justice. Pistorius, according to his defence, was sleeping in the bedroom with Reeva on the night of the murder. He shot her four times through the bathroom door believing — according to his version — that it was an intruder. Witnesses told the lower court they heard loud voices from the house in which the murder took place. The defence tried to buttress its argument by saying that Pistorius’ handicap made him psychologically vulnerable, forcing him to shoot in the belief that the purported intruder could have been a threat.
The prosecution’s argument that Pistorius shot at Reeva after they had a heated argument is believable. One fails to understand how the athlete could have fired without being sure it wasn’t his girlfriend behind the bathroom door. It is hard to believe Pistorius did not know that Reeva was there and that she would be killed by his bullets. The court should now award the maximum sentence to Pistorius so that justice is served, finally.
Finally, celebrated athlete Oscar Pistorius has got what he deserved. Top South African court has found him guilty of murdering his girlfriend and model Reeva Steenkamp in the early hours of Valentine’s Day in 2013. The double amputee athlete had been awarded a lighter sentence by a lower court that found him guilty of manslaughter, a crime amounting to culpable homicide not amounting to murder. After spending a year in jail, he was released to serve house arrest for five years at his uncle’s home in Pretoria.
The latest judgment comes as a big relief to the Steenkamp family, which had been wallowing in the quagmire created by the case that drew global media attention because of the celebrity status of the sportsman. The complexity of the trial and the media spotlight led to Pistorius’ background being torn into and his traits brought under the scanner. Here was the celebrated runner, in the dock in the murder case of his girlfriend. The prosecution tried to paint him as an individual given to outbursts of uncontrolled rage. He was shown as a trigger-happy man who, on an occasion, didn’t hesitate to fire a handgun inside a restaurant. It became quite clear that Pistorius, often referred to as the blade runner, had a fiery temper. He now needs to pay for his despicable deed with a longer sentence in prison that could reach 15 years.
While delivering the verdict, the judge called the case a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions. The judgment sets a good precedent for the South African legal system that has to deal with crime on a large scale. The judgment will certainly bring closure to the family of Steenkamp. The slain model’s father had earlier said he wanted to meet Pistorius and look him in the eye.
The case has brought the runner to justice. Pistorius, according to his defence, was sleeping in the bedroom with Reeva on the night of the murder. He shot her four times through the bathroom door believing — according to his version — that it was an intruder. Witnesses told the lower court they heard loud voices from the house in which the murder took place. The defence tried to buttress its argument by saying that Pistorius’ handicap made him psychologically vulnerable, forcing him to shoot in the belief that the purported intruder could have been a threat.
The prosecution’s argument that Pistorius shot at Reeva after they had a heated argument is believable. One fails to understand how the athlete could have fired without being sure it wasn’t his girlfriend behind the bathroom door. It is hard to believe Pistorius did not know that Reeva was there and that she would be killed by his bullets. The court should now award the maximum sentence to Pistorius so that justice is served, finally.
