Olympic sensation Oscar Pistorius stands accused of murder
The murder trial of Olympic gold medalist and double amputee Oscar Pistorius began Monday, Mar. 10 in South Africa, more than a year after the famed runner was accused of gunning down his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp, in the couple’s home on Feb. 14, 2013.
While Pistorius has already admitted to having shot Steenkamp, the trial itself is concerned with the claim that the shooting was not due to Pistorius’ belief that his girlfriend was an intruder in their home, but was in fact premeditated murder.
While the prosecution will use witnesses to say that Pistorious, in a fit of rage following an argument, shot Steenkamp on purpose, the runner’s own version of the story claims it to be a case of mistaken identity.
“I heard the bathroom door sliding open, I believed that an intruder or intruders had entered the bathroom through the bathroom window which was not fitted with burglar bars,” Pistorius claims. “I approached the bathroom armed with my firearm, so as to defend Reeva and I. At that time, I believed Reeva was still in the bed.”
Pistorious, who has had previous interaction with authorities on gun related charges, has pled “not guilty” to all charges, and hopes to be exonerated. The prosecution, for their part, aims to prove through witness testimony, citation of past incidents, and analysis of Pistorius’ character, that the runner knew full well what he was doing when he unloaded his pistol through his bathroom door.
The prosecution has already brought forth witnesses – neighbours of the couple – who claim to have heard Steenkamp screaming and yelling for help in the moments before four gun-shots were heard from the couple’s home.
The case is presided by Judge Thokozile Masipa, who has a reputation for being tough on cases that involve violence towards women. She will hear the entirety of both arguments and make a ruling completely of her own at the summation of the trial.
Excluding full and complete exoneration, three outcomes face Pistorius as the trial continues. The most severe of the three is premeditated murder, which requires the prosecution to prove that the intent to kill was planned beforehand and carries a compulsory life sentence.
Failing this, Pistorius could still face the lesser charge of murder, which carries a compulsory sentence of fifteen years in jail. All the prosecution needs to prove for a murder conviction is that Pistorius intended to kill Steenkamp, but the murder was not planned in advance.
Finally, the least severe of the possible charges is culpable homicide, which simply means that the killing was the result of negligence on the part of Pistorius. The punishment for this is completely discretionary and varies case to case. It could include anything from fines to prison time of five to ten years.
It is still early in the trial and much more evidence may come to light in the following weeks, but as it stands, the one time Olympic hero faces a rather arduous road ahead.