Oscar Pistorius sentenced to 6 years in prison for murdering girlfriend
PRETORIA, South Africa — Oscar Pistorius, the double-amputee
Olympian described by a judge as a "fallen hero," was sentenced on
Wednesday to six years in a South African prison for the murder of
girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, a ruling viewed by some as too lenient.
However,
Judge Thokozile Masipa appeared to anticipate criticism of a jail term
that fell far short of the normally mandated 15 years for murder under
South African law, declaring: "Our courts are courts of law, not courts
of public opinion."
Pistorius, who shot
Steenkamp through the door of a toilet cubicle in his home in 2013, was
asked to stand and face Masipa as she announced his sentence in a
wood-paneled courtroom in the South African capital, Pretoria. He was
calm after the ruling, embracing his aunt and tearful sister before
being led down a courtroom staircase to a holding cell ahead of being
taken to prison.
Later, a convoy of police cars
with lights flashing and sirens wailing left a side entrance of the
courthouse. In the convoy was a van with tinted windows, possibly
carrying Pistorius.
The sentencing was the
latest act of a three-and-a-half year legal drama that has often played
out on live television and shown the fall from grace of a runner once
viewed as an inspiration to many for overcoming his disability. Both of
Pistorius' legs were amputated below the knees when he was 11 months old
because of a congenital defect.
He made
history by competing at the 2012 Olympics on his carbon-fiber running
blades, and was one of the world's most recognizable athletes.
"He's
a fallen hero, he has lost his career and he is ruined financially,"
said Masipa, who originally convicted Pistorius of manslaughter, a
ruling that was overturned by an appeals court that instead convicted
him of murder and sent the case back to her for sentencing.
In
explaining the sentence, Masipa said there are "substantial and
compelling circumstances" to show leniency toward Pistorius because he
is a "good candidate for rehabilitation," is unlikely to commit another
crime and had shown what appeared to be genuine remorse over Steenkamp's
death.
Pistorius, 29, maintained he killed
Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model and reality TV star, by mistake thinking
she was an intruder hiding in the bathroom early on Valentine's Day
2013. Prosecutors alleged that he killed her intentionally after the
couple argued.
Part of the difficulty for the
judge in determining an appropriate sentence was that the Supreme Court
convicted Pistorius of murder with "indirect intent." Pistorius was
found guilty because he knew someone might die — even an intruder — when
he shot. As Masipa noted, the Supreme Court did not find that Pistorius
knew he was firing at Steenkamp.
Pistorius
will be eligible to apply for parole after three years, according to
legal experts. Prosecutors, who had asked that he be sentenced to 15
years in prison, can appeal for a heavier sentence but have yet to
comment on whether they will do so.
"The family accepts the judgment," Anneliese Burgess, a spokeswoman for the Pistorius family, said outside the courthouse.
The
Steenkamp family did not criticize the sentence. "The family has said
it before they wanted the law to run its course. It has done so. No
further comment. They will keep a dignified silence," said Dup de Bruyn,
the Steenkamp family representative.
Legal expert Marius du Toit described the sentence as "lenient but not wrong."
Some people who gathered outside the courthouse were critical.
"The
law didn't take its course," said Dukes Masanabo, a South African
sports official who had hoped Pistorius would be sentenced to 10 to 12
years, not six.
He said the sentence is too
light because Pistorius was sentenced to almost the same sentence — five
years — for his earlier manslaughter conviction. He served one year of
that sentence before being placed under house arrest at his uncle's
mansion in Pretoria, and he had some freedom of movement outside the
home during certain hours.
The time that
Pistorius already served in prison is not subtracted from his new
sentence, which may have contributed to the judge's relatively lenient
decision, say legal experts.
Another South African, Sarah Maete, said she wanted Pistorius to get the full 15 years in prison for murder.
"It's not enough," she said.
In
delivering her sentence, Masipa referred to the difficulties she faced
in deciding a sentence that "satisfies every relevant interest" in a
case that captured the world's attention and led to extremes of opinion
over the celebrated athlete. She noted that Pistorius had fired four
times — not once — through the closed toilet door and spoke of the
devastating effect the crime had on Steenkamp's family.
Ultimately, "mitigating circumstances outweigh the aggravating factors," the judge said.
Steenkamp's
parents, Barry and June, were present in the courtroom, which was
packed with relatives of both Pistorius and Steenkamp, journalists and
other observers.
Pistorius' defense lawyers had asked for no jail time at all, saying he should be allowed to do charity work with children.
Ulrich
Roux, a South African lawyer and commentator who is not involved in the
Pistorius case, said it had opened a window for South Africans into how
their justice system works, including cross-examination and how a judge
reaches a decision.
He said: "It's been a huge learning curve for our society."
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