Prison sentence more than doubled for Oscar Pistorious
The South African was sentenced to 13 years and five months for the murder of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp
A South African appeal court more than doubled the prison sentence for Oscar Pistorious for the murder of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
The jail sentence has been extended to 13 years and five months from the previous ruling of six years, according to the BBC. Pistorius shot, firing four times through a closed bathroom door, and killed Steenkamp, a model and law graduate, and claimed that he mistook her for an burglar on Valentine’s Day in 2013 in Pretoria, South Africa.
The BBC reports that a lower court had “justified the six-year sentence by citing mitigating circumstances such as rehabilitation and remorse.” At the Supreme Court of Appeal, Prosecutors argued that the six-year sentence was “shockingly lenient.” According to the Guardian, 15 years is the minimum sentence for murder and the court subtracted the time Pistorious, 31, has already served. He was originally sentenced for culpable homicide, then replaced with murder in 2016.
BREAKING: Appeal Court says there are NO compelling reasons that justify #OscarPistorius getting less than 15 years – and slams his six year term as "shockingly lenient". pic.twitter.com/qre0ZhbHFU
— Karyn Maughan (@karynmaughan) November 24, 2017
Pistorius, who had both of his legs amputated below the knee before he was 12 months of age, represented South Africa at the Paralympics, winning six gold medals, and Olympics.
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