So, this miserable hot-head gets away with murder. Why the same corrupt judge heard the case a second time is the real crime here. Hi excuse was laughable!
My heart goes out to Ms. Steenkamp's family and friends. I cannot imagine having to endure this soap opera of the South African judicial system for so long.
Were it my family member who had been murdered, I would be devastated to have to go through the emotionally wrenching nightmare of this trial and the appeal. No apologies or legal maneuvers or wishing or hoping will bring her back.
May her survivors take strength in the knowledge that many people are truly sorry for the loss of such a vibrant, intelligent young woman who might have made a real difference in the world. Unfortunately, she will never have that chance.
Were it my family member who had been murdered, I would be devastated to have to go through the emotionally wrenching nightmare of this trial and the appeal. No apologies or legal maneuvers or wishing or hoping will bring her back.
May her survivors take strength in the knowledge that many people are truly sorry for the loss of such a vibrant, intelligent young woman who might have made a real difference in the world. Unfortunately, she will never have that chance.
1
The first thing an intruder does after breaking into a house is to stop off for a quick pee...
5
He looks curiously like a Elon Monk. Is anyone else getting nervous?
Two comments from the judge's verdict stand out:
"In the minds of some people, that on the night of the murder there was an argument between the accused and the deceased, the unfortunate part of it is that not a shred of evidence, placed before this court, supports such a perception."
“Our courts are courts of law, not of public opinion. We should adjudicate without fear, favour or prejudice. Public opinion may be loud and persistent, but it can play no role in this case.”
All the posters here (and everywhere else) seem very willing to apply the standards of a kangaroo court: dismiss or ignore all the evidentiary findings and instead satisfy the crowds baying for blood. All credit to the judge for passing a sentence commensurate with what actually and contextually happened that night.
"In the minds of some people, that on the night of the murder there was an argument between the accused and the deceased, the unfortunate part of it is that not a shred of evidence, placed before this court, supports such a perception."
“Our courts are courts of law, not of public opinion. We should adjudicate without fear, favour or prejudice. Public opinion may be loud and persistent, but it can play no role in this case.”
All the posters here (and everywhere else) seem very willing to apply the standards of a kangaroo court: dismiss or ignore all the evidentiary findings and instead satisfy the crowds baying for blood. All credit to the judge for passing a sentence commensurate with what actually and contextually happened that night.
4
Six years! A miserable bloody six years for murder.
What money and celebrity can do for you --- no different in the US where Hillary has been simply 'careless'. Wait until the next person is charged with not protecting State secrets!
What money and celebrity can do for you --- no different in the US where Hillary has been simply 'careless'. Wait until the next person is charged with not protecting State secrets!
This sentence is ridiculous. His handicap was a consideration? HUH? He competed in the Olympics with no legs, he killed a woman. I believe he is fully capable of sitting in jail cell until he rots; and six years is not at all long enough for that !
In California, where I practice criminal defense law, the minimum sentence for a murder conviction as a practical matter is a life sentence. The court can, under limited circumstances, theoretically grant probation, but in a case involving the use of a firearm, even that slim possibility is off the table. It is essentially unheard of for a convicted murderer to not receive a life sentence.
Even criminals know that murder gets you life. I hate to say this, but no wonder South Africa has a huge crime problem. If you could get only six years for killing your girlfriend in California, we would too.
I think it is terribly sad how the court focused on the killer's loss of a good career, and the suffering he has felt. She totally ignored the suffering of the victim's family. This whole thing is a terrible tragedy, and now Mr. Pistorius will soon be back out on the streets, probably in three years. You can do more time in California for a whole long list of crimes, many of them nonviolent.
Even criminals know that murder gets you life. I hate to say this, but no wonder South Africa has a huge crime problem. If you could get only six years for killing your girlfriend in California, we would too.
I think it is terribly sad how the court focused on the killer's loss of a good career, and the suffering he has felt. She totally ignored the suffering of the victim's family. This whole thing is a terrible tragedy, and now Mr. Pistorius will soon be back out on the streets, probably in three years. You can do more time in California for a whole long list of crimes, many of them nonviolent.
8
The fact that the bathroom door was locked - not just closed, but locked - indicates to me that she was afraid. And as it turns out, she had good reason to be afraid. 6 years is an insult. Lucky for him there are no jury trials in SA and that I was not on the jury...
7
The other logical possibility is that she locked the door when she heard her boyfriend yelling at intruders. And she'd done exactly the same thing when armed robbers had invaded her home a few years before, per her uncle.
3
Six years for murder? I guess it's the same in S.A. One law for the wealthy and another for the common man. The judge says the poor boy has shown genuine remorse. Sure once he has some serious time in front of him. He's a privileged man with a proven short fuse. Unfortunately we will be hearing more from this man in the not so distant future. I doubt he'll serve more than 2 years. Pathetic.
6
Only six years for murder in South Africa? Another person unnecessarily ruins their life and the lives of the victim's family. It is all very sad.
7
Is it considered good journalism to summarily ignore the details behind Masipa's verdict? I find that somewhat patronizing. The proceedings failed to prove conclusively that it was a woman's voice that screamed. Witnesses heard a shrill voice that could have been male or female, and it is reasonable that the gender distinction would be inaudible through walls and/or a bathroom door (some witnesses claimed to hear a shrill male voice calling for help). Perhaps the most poignant piece of testimony was that of Pistorius's probation officer, Yvette van Schalkwyk, a social worker. Her testimony indicated that throughout her time with him in his cell, he vomited, cried most of the time, and was in depression over loss of his girlfriend. None of this was done for a courtroom. At the minimum, one would have to concede (as did Masipa) that as a murder, it would be the result of trigger-happiness. I realize this case is galvanizing. But not every single case that gives Americans flashbacks of OJ's "glove" debacle is a analogous to justice gone awry. I would invite the mob present to momentarily lay down their pitchforks and objectively weigh all the facts as they arose in court, before engaging in righteous indignation and blood-thirst.
7
So, six years, for a fellow who extinguished someone's life? It must be great to be rich and famous.
16
Merciful judge. Only time will tell if Pistorius, the luckiest murderer since OJ, will prove a worthy of it.
6
Based on his actions on the night of the shooting and his attitude and behaviour in the aftermath, I believe that Oscar Pistorius is unable to feel empathy, and therefore any expressions of remorse are really only for his own selfish goal of securing a lighter sentence. The strategy sure worked well for him in this case. My heart goes out to the Steenkamp family.
5
He will commit another crime since he basically got away with murder. OJ Jr.
4
This judge must have gone to school with Judge Aaron Persky. Same reaction as Brock Turner case. Pathetic!
8
Years ago I lived and worked iin Botswana. During the 4 years I worked there it was not uncommon for wife murderers to be aquited. Shooting through the bathroom door happened several times. In one case the husband parked at the edge of a cliff and got out of the car for some "fresh air" and the car rolled over the cliff with the wife inside. It was ruled an accident.
8
The judge should be in the cell next to his.
9
So other people in S.A. can shoot someone through their bathroom door and get away with the same sentence? Or is it just Mr. Pastorius?
8
Per South Africa's leading criminal law scholar and author of the defining textbook Jonathan Burchell, the SCA got it very wrong in their overturning of the original Oscar Pistorius decision. Based on the objective, irrefutable timeline of testimony, phone records and ballistics, the state's entire case for murder of Reeva was unsustainable. It was unprovable because it was not true. Why push this so relentlessly given the paucity of evidence? That's on Gerrie Nel, SAPS and the media. Why compound this tragedy? Change settled law to punish one guy more? Dolus eventualis is a most pretzel-like construction of intent if it makes what was gross negligence of Reeva over into maybe/should have therefor did foresee you might kill somebody behind the door. In South Africa. In the middle of the night. In the dark. Disoriented, panicked and vulnerable. With no legs on which to flee. Beyond a reasonable doubt. People need to stop already. To me, gross negligent homicide of Reeva was more accurate and respectful to the victim than murder of a perceived intruder in a country with 49 murders a day, the literal rape Capitol of the world and where violent home intrusions happen all the time and often end very badly. I really hope this is over at long last and the prosecutor doesn't appeal.
6
The judge's comments remind me of the Brock Turner case. Both judges felt that the perpetrator had already been "punished" by losing status, public adulation and career prospects. So, presumably, if the either man were poor and unknown with not much to lose but freedom, he'd have the book thrown at him? That's not justice.
17
Although the sentence is really light, it is indeed a miracle that South African justice inflicted him some time in jail at all.
I remember the case of the British Businessman Shrien Dewani who was cleared of all charges and declared innocent by the Judge Jeanette Traverso of the murder planning of his young wife during their honeymoon. With money ,top lawyers and connections , a criminal or muderer does not risk much in South Africa in my opinion.
I remember the case of the British Businessman Shrien Dewani who was cleared of all charges and declared innocent by the Judge Jeanette Traverso of the murder planning of his young wife during their honeymoon. With money ,top lawyers and connections , a criminal or muderer does not risk much in South Africa in my opinion.
8
Six years in prison is brutal punishment. It is enough.
There is no rational argument that a longer sentence would be more just--no amount of time would be commensurate with the life of Reeva Steenkamp. Six seems an arbitrary number--a grudging concession by Judge Masipa to the Supreme Court of Appeal--and not the result of any greater jurisprudence. But political pressures create laws and legal practices. I do feel for Barry Steenkamp's suffering, and I thoroughly agree that Oscar Pistorius's explanation for his unspeakable act is utterly unbelievable. Part of me wants him to man up and accept his punishment. But as a human being, I cannot close down a belief that honest contrition counts and that it should be an ameliorating factor. Mr. Pistorius is a flawed person. His cowardice does not make him more reprehensible in my eyes. Not to permit oneself to see any spark of value in his expressions of contrition and sorrow would be to discourage people who commit criminal acts from the very acts of empathy that we feel should have restrained their actions in the first place. Though I am outraged at the death of Ms. Steenkamp, and at the defendant's callousness and monstrous self-absorption, I think the people crying for his blood demonstrate their own lack of empathy for the weak and vulnerable, in this instance Mr. Pistorius. It implicates them indirectly in his crime.
There is no rational argument that a longer sentence would be more just--no amount of time would be commensurate with the life of Reeva Steenkamp. Six seems an arbitrary number--a grudging concession by Judge Masipa to the Supreme Court of Appeal--and not the result of any greater jurisprudence. But political pressures create laws and legal practices. I do feel for Barry Steenkamp's suffering, and I thoroughly agree that Oscar Pistorius's explanation for his unspeakable act is utterly unbelievable. Part of me wants him to man up and accept his punishment. But as a human being, I cannot close down a belief that honest contrition counts and that it should be an ameliorating factor. Mr. Pistorius is a flawed person. His cowardice does not make him more reprehensible in my eyes. Not to permit oneself to see any spark of value in his expressions of contrition and sorrow would be to discourage people who commit criminal acts from the very acts of empathy that we feel should have restrained their actions in the first place. Though I am outraged at the death of Ms. Steenkamp, and at the defendant's callousness and monstrous self-absorption, I think the people crying for his blood demonstrate their own lack of empathy for the weak and vulnerable, in this instance Mr. Pistorius. It implicates them indirectly in his crime.
8
It is laughable that thew "weak and vulnerable"person to whom you refer is a Olympic athlete holding a firearm, rather than a unarmed woman who probably locked herself in that bathroom for a very good reason. And to say that anyone thinks the sentence unjust is implicated 'indirectly in his crime." Notice that your comment entirely omits the word "justice" - yet serving justice is the whole purpose of a legal system. Justice was not served in this case by a long shot.
11
MJ, the problem with what you are saying is that Mr. Pistorius apologized for killing her --- not for murdering her. He never admitted what he did.
3
There once was a lad named Pistorius
Whose run on the track was most glorious
He then lost his cool
Ah! Murder, most cruel
And now he is simply notorious
Whose run on the track was most glorious
He then lost his cool
Ah! Murder, most cruel
And now he is simply notorious
20
Sad ,just so heartbreakingly sad...a lovely woman is dead,her family is will never recover and,he will live with this...
5
If this is appealed by the prosecutors, will a different judge hear the case? I wonder at the rationalizing of 'mitigating' factors by Judge Masipa. I am surprised at the leniency of the sentence, if Pistorius can get out in 3 years.
7
Hi, He should have been made to serve more time. I am sure he knew what he was doing when he killed her. Eugenia Renskoff
7
Judge Masipa was just doubling down on her original judgement.
Why would she not rule in a way to defend her reputation?
This case must go to a higher court for real justice to prevail.
Oscar Pistorius is a serious danger to society.
Why would she not rule in a way to defend her reputation?
This case must go to a higher court for real justice to prevail.
Oscar Pistorius is a serious danger to society.
7
That stunt where he took off his walking shoes and walked on his leg bones paid off. He played the pity card and his victim, murdered in her youth, wasn't there to remind them. He is still a murderer. No reason to forget.
18
Parole in three years... I'm speechless!
9
I wonder if, under South African law, the Steenkamp family can file a wrongful death civil suit against Pistorius -- just like the family of OJ's victims did -- to get a large judgment for damages that would essentially require Pistorius to give them almost every penny he ever earns the rest of his life. Even if the loss of a woman's life doesn't seem to be given much value under their criminal system, perhaps there would be a different outcome civilly.
17
First time around this 'judge' hands a sentence which is outrageously light and light-headed, and gets the case back by a higher instance. Well, what could possibly change in her eyes during the second trial? Next to nothing, I guess. So, she again succeeds in perverting the law and judging as if she's Pistorius' aunt. She knows the boy, he's genuinely sorry and will be better in the future. Sickening.
17
I have friends in Africa and the sad part is that crime is so prevalent and unsolved by corrupt and/or incompetent police that wealthy people are living in virtual luxury prison compounds fully armed or have contracted out law enforcement to quasi-military security companies to try and maintain a small semblance of sanity. So while it looks bad to us that an athlete killed his girlfriend and got 6 years in jail, lets us remember 2016 is the 20th anniversary of the former athlete who killed 2 people and beat the system by overwhelming the judicial system with lawyers (and allegations of systemic racism). In America, Oscar's defense lawyers would have put SA crime on trial, created an environment of fear and convinced the judge or jury he was actually acting heroically by "standing his ground". My only concern is that 6 months from now, SA prison system will send Oscar home to serve the balance of his sentence due to overcrowding.
12
It's the same idiot judge who found him not guilty of murder. She is basically refusing to be overturned by the higher court and insisting that it was an accident instead of murder. I hope the higher court can impose a sentence for murder.
15
Shows you that really good lawyers anywhere, if you are a rich (and can afford the best) and a world famous person, can get you out of almost anything - including murder!
If you are not gifted with the above, you go to jail for a very long time.
If you are not gifted with the above, you go to jail for a very long time.
11
It took this long. And all he gets is 6 year's.
4
You mean because he's "sorry" he gets less time? Disgraceful!
16
One of the first rules of firearms safety is to know what you are shooting at. When people shoot at sounds, shadows, and shapes, or through a door, innocents die.
13
What??? He KNEW it was her he was shooting. She was trying to escape him after a vicious argument. Neighbors heard them arguing. They heard her pleading and screaming. They heard the gun go off, and then...silence.
14
Right. So his story about shooting at an "intruder" is full of holes, so to speak. What intruder locks himself into a bathroom after breaking in?
12
"The worst is, having taken someones life, he cannot be at peace." No--the worst is that 'having been a celebrity, he can influence a sentencing decision'. Or wait---maybe the worst is, that someones daughter is dead because of his actions. Yeah--I'm going to go with that one.
18
Sadly, privilege and status trump justice and equality yet again.
11
I feel so sorry for Reeva's family.
The judge should never have been put back on the case. She was brought out of retirement to do so. It seems she just doesn't get it.
I can't imagine that the South African authorities are happy with her decision. She's made the country's legal system look ridiculous again. I hope the same officials who got the charge upgraded to murder can overrule her sentence and make it longer.
She implies that he has suffered enough. Nothing that can happen to him can be enough.
The judge should never have been put back on the case. She was brought out of retirement to do so. It seems she just doesn't get it.
I can't imagine that the South African authorities are happy with her decision. She's made the country's legal system look ridiculous again. I hope the same officials who got the charge upgraded to murder can overrule her sentence and make it longer.
She implies that he has suffered enough. Nothing that can happen to him can be enough.
16
He received a very lenient sentence for the coldblooded killing of his
girlfriend. Thy guy is an an emotional amputee as well he ought to have received
a life sentence. He is a time bomb.
girlfriend. Thy guy is an an emotional amputee as well he ought to have received
a life sentence. He is a time bomb.
9
Although I certainly have no knowledge of whether Mr. Pistorius committed intentional homicide, I am compelled to relay to my fellow NYT readers the sad fact that South Africa is an extremely violent country in which to live, even in "protected compounds". For example, its intentional homicide rate is approximately 10 times higher than the US intentional homicide rate, which is already very high. Being on edge and afraid is a part of every day life there. Yes, even inside "protected compounds".
9
Wah! It's not as though he didn't have money to leave. He murdered his lover in cold blood on Valentine's Day no less.
5
Stockton, California has one of the highest murder rates not only in California but in the US. Only 4% of the cities in the US have higher rates of murder.
So should everyone be allowed to randomly open fire into any room in their house if they are frightened by a noise?
Because that is what I am reading from your comment - that his "fear" motivated him to open fire so that makes it OK.
If that's the case, then can any woman walking from work through a parking lot to her car (say, in Stockton) just justifiably start firing randomly if she's "on edge and afraid" of someone walking near her?
Or does that defense just apply to white men living in wealthy enclaves in South Africa?
So should everyone be allowed to randomly open fire into any room in their house if they are frightened by a noise?
Because that is what I am reading from your comment - that his "fear" motivated him to open fire so that makes it OK.
If that's the case, then can any woman walking from work through a parking lot to her car (say, in Stockton) just justifiably start firing randomly if she's "on edge and afraid" of someone walking near her?
Or does that defense just apply to white men living in wealthy enclaves in South Africa?
1
He woke up, she was not in the bed so he shoots through the bathroom door without inquiring who might be behind it?
Life in prison is the correct answer for an obvious deliberate murder.
Life in prison is the correct answer for an obvious deliberate murder.
17
Here we have on display a thimble-headed incompetent judge.
He tried to apologize, huh.
He tried to apologize, huh.
8
Yeah? His victim could be heard by witnesses screaming and begging for her life as he emptied his gun into her. Who is crying and pleading now? I hope the little crapper gets what's coming to him...suffer long and hard.
12
House arrest, sounds like the judges in America. When is the world going to really hand out justice? Boo Hoo, he's a fallen hero (hero, are you kidding me?) who has lost his career is ruined financially. So that's the real reason. Give me a break. He would have served life with no parole, if I was the judge. Of course the higher judge will even the score........eventually.
6
I do not agree on his views I think that it spreads racism and keeps that wheel rolling .But we must remember we have something called the freedom of speech he has the right to say something offensive and we have the right to be offended. You don't like it don't listen.
I guess that if you're the Prime Minister and you murder your girlfriend, lose your political career and apologize to everyone you possibly can. you might receive about six months...
4
I heard that he was going to use the" feel sorry for me because I'm handicapped defense "
But he didn't have a leg to stand on
But he didn't have a leg to stand on
5
Yes, his story was full of holes...
2
This judge was clearly biased or paid off. The case should not have gone back to her for sentencing, and she should be removed. A pathetic justice system.
13
BIASED???!!! This creep has been free for far too long because of his celebrity status. His victim was murdered in cold blood. He should've been in prison all these years, not under house probation. She is dead forever. I am waiting to hear he has hung himself. The only person he feels sorry for is himself. Good riddance!
15
The point is the sentence is far too short and she is biased in favor of Pistorius.. She added one year after the appeals court ruled that it was a murder and not manslaughter. She should not have been the person to determine the sentence on remand.
15
The judge should really be more concerned about providing a sense of justice to the poor Steenkamp and save her sympathy for all of the people who lost this woman. Six years is a slap in the face to them all, as well as women everywhere as yet again we are shown that our lives and bodies have limited value in the world at large, to varying degrees.
Even if this was an accident it is time to throw the book at people with itchy trigger fingers. Everyday more people are "accidentally" gunned down because now just picking up a gun and shooting when you feel even the slightest bit threatened has somehow become a normalized reaction. It's fight or flight, not shoot until the clip is empty and then say I'm sorry.
And who cares if Pistorius is sorry he killed her? The family does not owe him forgiveness because he claims to be sorry. Let him apologize again at his parole hearing in 7-8 years after serving half of the 15 year minimum.
Even if this was an accident it is time to throw the book at people with itchy trigger fingers. Everyday more people are "accidentally" gunned down because now just picking up a gun and shooting when you feel even the slightest bit threatened has somehow become a normalized reaction. It's fight or flight, not shoot until the clip is empty and then say I'm sorry.
And who cares if Pistorius is sorry he killed her? The family does not owe him forgiveness because he claims to be sorry. Let him apologize again at his parole hearing in 7-8 years after serving half of the 15 year minimum.
19
Justice is bland.
4
What justice?
7
Rest in peace now Reeva.
3
Money and influence. Given his rage fits and history with guns, he should have gotten twenty years and served all of it.
33
Why same judge who erred in her first judgement was allowed again to rule. This judge is more sympathetic to inconvenience of accused than to a dead victim who lost her life. Shame if a judge is influenced by a photogenic accused theatrics than facts of the case.
13
Well of course. According to the ACLU, women in the U.S. who kill an abusive partner are sentenced an average of 15 years in prison. In 2013, a Florida woman was sentenced to 20 years for firing a gun at her allegedly abusive husband - she thought she was 'standing her ground' but the court thought she attempted murder. This year, Brock Turner was sentenced to 6 MONTHS in jail for raping an unconscious woman.
In Pakistan, 10 men were sentenced for terrorism for shooting a 14 year old girl on a school bus in 2012, Malala Yousafzai. In 2015, 8 men had their sentences overturned and were hiding in Afghanistan. In 2013, 8 men in India were given death sentences after raping a woman to death on a New Deli bus. One man hanged himself but the other 7 convictions were overturned and the men have been released. In 2014, Boko Haram kidnapped 276 school girls in Nigeria. A few girls have escaped but no one has been convicted or imprisoned for any crimes.
I don't know what all of this means, but I think the old James Brown song, "It's a man's world", has more than one meaning.
In Pakistan, 10 men were sentenced for terrorism for shooting a 14 year old girl on a school bus in 2012, Malala Yousafzai. In 2015, 8 men had their sentences overturned and were hiding in Afghanistan. In 2013, 8 men in India were given death sentences after raping a woman to death on a New Deli bus. One man hanged himself but the other 7 convictions were overturned and the men have been released. In 2014, Boko Haram kidnapped 276 school girls in Nigeria. A few girls have escaped but no one has been convicted or imprisoned for any crimes.
I don't know what all of this means, but I think the old James Brown song, "It's a man's world", has more than one meaning.
47
Uh, none of these judgements are connected. Separate rulings, juries, and courts. Try not to worry too much about what is fair, unlesd you are less than seven years old.
2
I am so sorry this killing happened. I suffer from Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). I am almost positive Pistorius has BPD. My guess is he killed her in a rage of "fear of abandonment" - being the core interpersonal problem with BPD.
People with BPD are best served when they accept that they have it. BPD is an incredibly formidable brain illness. It essentially serves to not allow the sufferer to get close to people and enjoy normal human interactions. Had he been diagnosed and accepted it - he would have (being susceptible to fear of abandonment rages, and being in a close romantic relationship - which triggers such rages) removed all guns (and knives) from his house. Further, he would have been in couples therapy so his girlfriend knew what was going on with him.
The issue with BPD is it is so integral to the personality due to the ego, it takes a lot of work before a person can separate their true nature from the illness.
When the illness takes over due to stress, it s very easy to give in to it.
People with normal brains say, "my girlfriend is leaving me, I feel sad, the world will not end. I am lovable. I will get another girlfriend in due time."
People with Borderline Personality Brains say, "my girlfriend is leaving me. That is FINAL proof I am unlovable and will never be lovable. etc etc.
I feel bad Pistorius gave in to it without getting help. On a spiritual level, Pistorius' time in prison is in keeping with the isolating nature of the illness.
People with BPD are best served when they accept that they have it. BPD is an incredibly formidable brain illness. It essentially serves to not allow the sufferer to get close to people and enjoy normal human interactions. Had he been diagnosed and accepted it - he would have (being susceptible to fear of abandonment rages, and being in a close romantic relationship - which triggers such rages) removed all guns (and knives) from his house. Further, he would have been in couples therapy so his girlfriend knew what was going on with him.
The issue with BPD is it is so integral to the personality due to the ego, it takes a lot of work before a person can separate their true nature from the illness.
When the illness takes over due to stress, it s very easy to give in to it.
People with normal brains say, "my girlfriend is leaving me, I feel sad, the world will not end. I am lovable. I will get another girlfriend in due time."
People with Borderline Personality Brains say, "my girlfriend is leaving me. That is FINAL proof I am unlovable and will never be lovable. etc etc.
I feel bad Pistorius gave in to it without getting help. On a spiritual level, Pistorius' time in prison is in keeping with the isolating nature of the illness.
9
Another lightly punished crime against a woman.
132
but women kill their "inconvenient" unborn children legally in most countries, so what goes around comes around.
2
If you had followed the court proceedings you would know it wasn't about that. Don't misappropriate these tragic events for your cause.
You maybe need to be disabled to understand anything from his point of view. Most aren't, and won't. I am, and do.
8
That's the dumbest NYT comment I have ever read.
3
Wow.
So to be in a relationship with someone with this disability is to take your chances?
5
South Africa really is very dangerous, with a murder rate nearly 10 times that of the U.S. While Oscar Pistorius's story seems implausible to me, I wonder if he would have been convicted in our system. It would only have taken one person on a jury who believed his story was possible, and he would have gone free. In addition, look at the video of Pistorius walking on his stumps and think about what expert witnesses might say regarding the mental state of so vulnerable a person in such a high crime environment (and who was bullied as a child).
9
IMO, Mr. Pistorius revealed a significant personality trait that has influenced his behavior throughout this episode-- excessive egocentrism-- when he competed in the Special Olympics after having won in the Regular Olympics.
17
This is what happens when people -- including judges -- have stars in their eyes. Athletes, celebrities, and the super rich need to be as accountable as mere mortals for their crimes but sadly, this is rarely the case. How tragic.
75
I closely watched the trial and never got the impression that the judge had stars in her eyes. Quite the opposite, really.
2
This is also what happens during intimate arguments compounded by free access to firearms. Why did she lock the door? This is the telling point for me. Were I in the bed of my loving lover and arose to relieve myself in the night, there would be no reason to lock the door. Share my bed, not my bathroom? Something broke the trust and love that night, and he had the gun.
10
Does the U.S. treat its fallen handsome hero athletes, who beat or murder women, much differently?
37
For those that believe Pistorius murdered Ms. Steenkamp in a jealous rage I would recommend reading deeper into the court proceedings. After doing so I came away agreeing that this was a tragic accident by a man with a dangerous trigger finger. The media and the prosecutor were borderline criminal in perpetuating a story line before any of the facts had come out. It can be debated if the length of the sentence is appropriate but the public should have a fair presentation of the facts.
27
So your a law expert T Montoya? You must be since your telling everyone you read all the court proceedings. But keep this in mind T Montoya. Mr. Pistorius had plenty of time to come up with a story to cover his actions and no one including you know what the real story is. But killing someone even by accident is a crime. He took a life and I'm sorry but shooting into a locked bathroom. Oh come on. Put a gun on the door and call the police.
And sadly, it seems that killing women has become a problem everywhere and getting away with it - the norm.
And sadly, it seems that killing women has become a problem everywhere and getting away with it - the norm.
8
If you wake up at night and your girlfriend is not in bed beside you and you hear a noise in the bathroom you know that's where she is. Only morons and starstruck judges believe his story.
16
I don't buy his story at all... here's how it could have happened:
1 He thinks there's a criminal in the bathroom, so he first checks the bed to see if his girlfriend is using the restroom. She's not in bed, so he knows she's just using the restroom.
2 He thinks there's a criminal in the bathroom, but he forgets to check the bed to see if his girlfriend is using the restroom. So at the bathroom door he says, girlfriend, is that you? She replies, yes I'll be out in a few minutes.
3 He gets in a fight with his girlfriend. She locks herself in the bathroom because he's too physical. He threatens to shoot her through the door if she doesn't open it. She doesn't open it.
I can't picture, or even imagine, a situation where he just shoots through the door to kill the criminal behind the door in the restroom. Is the criminal using the restroom? If a criminal came through the window in the restroom, why would he close the door to the restroom? For privacy, or to steal the tissue paper? If this is his line of thinking, he would have literally killed everyone in his family growing up. There would be a running joke in the family, nobody use the restroom at night when Oscar is in the house! How many deaths a year do we have from people shooting through restroom doors at night? Goodness knows a lot of us have to use the restroom at night, I don't see a lot of spouses shooting their husbands or parents shooting their children in restrooms at night.
1 He thinks there's a criminal in the bathroom, so he first checks the bed to see if his girlfriend is using the restroom. She's not in bed, so he knows she's just using the restroom.
2 He thinks there's a criminal in the bathroom, but he forgets to check the bed to see if his girlfriend is using the restroom. So at the bathroom door he says, girlfriend, is that you? She replies, yes I'll be out in a few minutes.
3 He gets in a fight with his girlfriend. She locks herself in the bathroom because he's too physical. He threatens to shoot her through the door if she doesn't open it. She doesn't open it.
I can't picture, or even imagine, a situation where he just shoots through the door to kill the criminal behind the door in the restroom. Is the criminal using the restroom? If a criminal came through the window in the restroom, why would he close the door to the restroom? For privacy, or to steal the tissue paper? If this is his line of thinking, he would have literally killed everyone in his family growing up. There would be a running joke in the family, nobody use the restroom at night when Oscar is in the house! How many deaths a year do we have from people shooting through restroom doors at night? Goodness knows a lot of us have to use the restroom at night, I don't see a lot of spouses shooting their husbands or parents shooting their children in restrooms at night.
12
This follows the trend of all those college football players getting off the hook on rape charges. Sound legal advise might be to make sure you are a celebrity athlete before abusing any of the women in your life.
18
And advice for women would be to make sure you are never alone with a celebrity athlete, since they have what amounts to license to commit violence against women.
7
Avoid people who keep loaded guns in the bedroom.
10
"I am of a view that a long term imprisonment will not serve justice". With all those incarcerated black people with crimes that they did not commit ? How about that? I always thought of judge masipa as one of those black people scared of white people. Earlier in the trial judge masipa said that the star athlete action was normal as a disable person and afraid of taking advantage of. I can't imagine if the star athlete was a black man. Masipa is surrounded by many elephants in the room.
8
The obvious question. Why is the same judge who misjudged the case earlier sentencing the case on appeal? She clearly showed herself to be sympathetic to the accused and his version of events in the earlier trial.
The other questions are. How much money is all this costing, and will continue to cost if there's yet another appeal, and how much would all this have cost if a black man had shot his girlfriend under the same circumstances? Clearly the expensive wheels of justice are more easily afforded the white and monied class in that country and elsewhere.
The other questions are. How much money is all this costing, and will continue to cost if there's yet another appeal, and how much would all this have cost if a black man had shot his girlfriend under the same circumstances? Clearly the expensive wheels of justice are more easily afforded the white and monied class in that country and elsewhere.
46
It just so happens that the judge is black, Memi. So this theory of her cutting Pistorius a lot of slack because of his race, or his wealth is not very probable. I guess she felt that he would have a harder time in prison because of his disability. Plus, I think the judge was convinced of his remorse.
Another slap in the face for the poor Steenkamp family.
The judge was brought out of retirement to oversee this hearing. That was obviously a mistake. She just doesn't seem to get it. His first offence? He murdered someone. That doesn't deserve leniency.
I can't imagine that the SA authorities are thrilled with Judge Masipa's decision. I hope there is an appeal and his sentence is extended to 15 years. If that happens, a different judge needs to be brought it.
The judge was brought out of retirement to oversee this hearing. That was obviously a mistake. She just doesn't seem to get it. His first offence? He murdered someone. That doesn't deserve leniency.
I can't imagine that the SA authorities are thrilled with Judge Masipa's decision. I hope there is an appeal and his sentence is extended to 15 years. If that happens, a different judge needs to be brought it.
2
U.S. courts also are extremely reluctant to change the judge assigned to a case no matter how bad his decisions. I have a deportation case in which the Board of Immigration Appeals has TWICE reversed the decision of the same judge in te same case because it found that he wrongly found my client to be incredible (a liar). It is rare for the Board to reverse a judge's credibilty finding to begin with - for it to do so twice in the same case is almost unheard of. Nevertheless, it sent the case back to the very same judge to be decided for yet a third time. Fortunately the vengeful old man has finally retired, so this time we may stand a chance a getting justice.
Six years is not enough for sure but better than nothing. But, he will be back in confinement soon enough. He is a violent, troubled individual and he will be in trouble again - just like OJ.
8
One of the few internationally agreed upon principles of justice is that celebrities, rich people and star athletes get special treatment and leniency.
17
Never forget, he was really really upset when he killed her and when he lied about it and when he got found out. How traumatic for him. Six years is too many! Where is the mitigation of an angry man's feelings? He should receive damages for how long this has gone on.
11
A life is worth six years. Hmmmm
8
Three
4
Boy, does this remind me of the Stanford rape case. In both cases, both judges for some reason feel much more sympathy for the white male athlete perpetrator than the female victim who was either raped or murdered. I guess I can expect such mind-boggling subjectivity from a white male judge who's also an ex-Stanford athlete. But Misapa? What the heck? And after a higher court overturned her original verdict, why on earth would the Australian justice system toss the case back to her to decide sentencing? What an incredibly messed-up, white male patriarchal world we live in. I really feel for all the rest of us, and that's the large majority of the people in the world.
45
Just for the record this is not in Australia and no Australians are involved it is South Africa.
4
So a female judge gave out the sentence, but somehow your comment found a way to blame white men?
2
Enough with the white, white, white.
He's just another man getting away with violence against a woman. Common with men of all colors.
He's just another man getting away with violence against a woman. Common with men of all colors.
The scales of justice in Judge Masipa's court seem to be off-balanced by a bleeding heart, a substantial bribe, or social favoritism. Hope they take it to a higher court because Pistorius is a high risk for further violence.
16
Celebrity justice. He did, however, get six more years than O.J. Simpson for the murders of his wife Nicole and Ron Goldman.
16
I don't know South African law or Judge Masipa's history but I do know that Judge Masipa is unfit.
10
Add South Africa to the places you can kill a woman and basically get a slap on the wrist.
17
I'm am sure the people of South Africa are relieved that Pistorius is a first time murderer that therefore deserved a light sentence.
1
Once again, Pistorius lucks out. If he's smart, he will keep his mouth shut and do the time. He's pretty much getting away with murder.
45
Those commenting here seem to know exactly what happened inside the house when Steenkamp was shot, and to have been present at the trial and heard all the evidence presented to the jury. And, so many appear to know the intricacies of South African criminal law, too. How easy it is, from a distance and after the fact, to decide guilt or innocence.
13
Good observation i would have no idea and for that reason have no opinion.
1
This trial was televised, and very well covered by BBC. I had just had a back operation and watched every minute of the trial. And read everything about it I could fnid, including SA law.
3
Not really sure that an apology should buy you 9 years. "I'm sorry" doesn't really cut it as recompense for killing someone.
29
I don't get - the minimum sentence for murder in South Africa is 15 years, so why is he getting a slap on the wrist with this sentencing? Her life isn't worth even the minimum sentence? He knew how to play the system with all his weeping & crying and in the end truly got away with murder. What a travesty of justice this whole case turned out to be.
46
He will be allowed two weeks in july to race in the Olympics.
2
Well, the judge gets to judge. However, it seems odd that some sentences for taking the life of another are so short and sentences for lesser crimes so long.
Based on numerous media reports the assailant in this case was a narcissist, was a bit of a control freak and had a temper. She allegedly was ending the relationship. A lethal combination. They're living in a gated community, in the same bed, he hears a noise behind a door, riddles it with bullets.
Wouldn't one assume the noise was from their guest. Maybe call out to check. Fear of a break-in seems a lame excuse for opening fire, but a convenient one for a jealous angry
man. Justice barely served.
Based on numerous media reports the assailant in this case was a narcissist, was a bit of a control freak and had a temper. She allegedly was ending the relationship. A lethal combination. They're living in a gated community, in the same bed, he hears a noise behind a door, riddles it with bullets.
Wouldn't one assume the noise was from their guest. Maybe call out to check. Fear of a break-in seems a lame excuse for opening fire, but a convenient one for a jealous angry
man. Justice barely served.
30
Media reports ? Mmm
I believe he killed her intentionally as part of a pattern of domestic abuse. This is still not justice for the victim. Condolences to her family.
127
It's not 'violence against women' -- it's violence--period. There's more violence committed against
males statistically but theres never rhetoric about 'violence against males' . Stop the coddling and special treatment, women are violent too and are more often found to initiate more of it domestically speaking.
males statistically but theres never rhetoric about 'violence against males' . Stop the coddling and special treatment, women are violent too and are more often found to initiate more of it domestically speaking.
7
Agree from your namesake. We don't have to turn everything into a sexist act.
"women are . . . more often found to initiate more of it domestically speaking"
Where do you get this?
Where do you get this?
1
Oh please. Men commit 90% of homicides and the vast majority of violent crimes. There's more violence against men simply because men attack each other. Oh, and they attack women. And children. "Coddling and special treatment" my foot.
14
"He’s a fallen hero who has lost his career and is ruined financially. The worst is that having taken the life of a fellow human being in the manner that he did, he cannot be at peace." The judge's message to the perp's victim's family: Your daughter's life does not matter. All that matters is that this poor boy is going to suffer.
All I can do is shake my head.
All I can do is shake my head.
160
She's dead. What can the judge do for her life? All that is left is to make the convicted suffer. That's what prison is. Suffering. It's not rehabilitation.
3
His sad life is ruined. How pathetic.
4
Six years, three with good behavior, already one year served... he's out in two. Impressed with the forgiveness from her family. Reaction and feedback re sentence appeared very balanced, nobody screaming for justice. Interesting, Just sayin'
9
I suppose one ought to be pleased that he was found guilty at all (I'd thought it wasn't the case), but the judge seemed to care a lot more for the defendant than the victim. I wonder whether she would have been as concerned had he not such a high profile, or not been handicapped
64
Because he said he was sorry he gets a lighter sentence?????!!! And if he was some average guy that no one ever heard of would he get the same sentence? I don't think so.
92
SUSAN, how many times do we read of a trial in the U.S. where the judge bases draconian sentencing on "I don't believe you are really repentant," exactly because he sees the defendant does not regret his actions and is likely to repeat his crime. The converse is true: If someone is repentant, it is a mitigating factor, speaking to the unlikelihood that he will repeat the crime.
4
What is the point of having laws in society? The court of public opinion has reverted us to the Roman colosseum
23
It's unbelievable to me that Judge Masipa still can't see Murder for what it is--Murder. And to accept Pistorius' excuse that he believed he had to shoot through the bathroom door because he thought an intruder was in the house, is just not justifiable! I am appalled with this lenient sentence and it needs to be appealed.
136
So after being found guilty of murder he gets a sentence one year longer than the original judgement?
73
Today justice was served. I had my doubts whether Oscar Pistorius would actually be held accountable for killing the women (he claimed was his girlfriend). Being an Olympic athlete, and one with no legs, he had a significant amount of sympathy and support. However, this murderer was not handicapped - he easily took his gun and fired multiple time into a bathroom where she was hiding. It's so sad. The sadder part, 6 years is not sufficient for taking a life in that manner - he should have been sentenced much longer.
55
Unlike the U.S. which has a Constitutional prohibition against Double Jeopardy, under the Fifth Amendment, and right to Jury Trial under the Sixth Amendment, Mr. Pistorius' murder conviction represents a miscarriage of justice under American standards of due process. Additionally, he should have received credit for the one year incarceration he served on his prior "Culpable Homicide (Manslaughter)" conviction. His reckless conduct in shooting through a closed door justifies a criminal conviction, but the degree of "Mens Rea" involved does not justify a murder conviction.
11
True, perhaps. But he's not here, where he would have gone to jail longer the first round of hearings.
3
But he does not live in America so American standards don't apply. You can't apply our standards to South Africa's.
1
In the US of A, the NRA would have hired his lawyers and argued complete innocence--stand your ground and all that. And all the gun-toting rednecks in this country would have been cheering. He'd have gotten off much sooner.
1
6 years for murder! Well it was only a woman and he's a star athlete!
153
"Justice" Holmes, it's clear you haven't followed the trial, are ignorant of the circumstances, and accustomed to making gratuitous, cute observations about other people's affairs. (Try actually reading all the circumstances taken into consideration by the judge (a real one), Masipa, who is a famed jurist, revered by the legal community as humanist and just--unlike some in the so-called "The Land of the Free.")
5
6 years in the slammer is no laughing matter. I'll bet Oscar Pistorious is counting his lucky stars he wasn't sentenced in "the home of the free and the brave.
11
If he was in the USA he would have gotten off just like the rich and famous always do.
10
But he's eligible for parole in just three years. What a travesty...
10
Doesn't mean he'll get parole.
1
Judge Masipa is a disgrace. She blew the initial ruling which was unanimously overturned on appeal. A casual observer would have seen that she didn't understand the law. They then hand the sentencing back to her and she slaps him on the wrist with a six year sentence of which he will probably serve two. Her reasoning for the light sentence is that he tried to apologize.
Pistorius' story of what happened that night has always been laughable. Since when is using the bathroom at night an excuse for unloading a revolver through the door?
South Africa clearly has an odd legal system. But then we had the O.J. case, so we have our own issues with celebrity cases.
Pistorius' story of what happened that night has always been laughable. Since when is using the bathroom at night an excuse for unloading a revolver through the door?
South Africa clearly has an odd legal system. But then we had the O.J. case, so we have our own issues with celebrity cases.
205
Exactly - Trevor Noah actually nailed the weak link in Oscar's story - Oscar
said he called out to Reeva and she did not answer, when she was in the bathroom. Trevor points out that when women are on the toilet, they ALWAYS answer because they do not want anyone to walk in on them, especially their boyfriend. It is obvious to me that the real story is: they had an argument, I actually think it was over the drapes being closed - he told her to close them as he fell asleep. She stayed up later than him but forgot to close the drapes for the night, and bring the fan in. He woke up, all hot and sweaty, and, hyped up very particular athlete that he is, became furious with her over the drapes. She ran to the bathroom, and he shot her.
And regretted it immediately, praying to the only thing that could save him now, God, because he had just committed murder in the eyes of men.
The sentence is a joke. Just like OJ. Men can kill women and they do, and get away with it. Judge Masipa is a nice lady, I would like her for a mother, but NOT a judge of men. She seems to even struggle to read, unfortunately.
said he called out to Reeva and she did not answer, when she was in the bathroom. Trevor points out that when women are on the toilet, they ALWAYS answer because they do not want anyone to walk in on them, especially their boyfriend. It is obvious to me that the real story is: they had an argument, I actually think it was over the drapes being closed - he told her to close them as he fell asleep. She stayed up later than him but forgot to close the drapes for the night, and bring the fan in. He woke up, all hot and sweaty, and, hyped up very particular athlete that he is, became furious with her over the drapes. She ran to the bathroom, and he shot her.
And regretted it immediately, praying to the only thing that could save him now, God, because he had just committed murder in the eyes of men.
The sentence is a joke. Just like OJ. Men can kill women and they do, and get away with it. Judge Masipa is a nice lady, I would like her for a mother, but NOT a judge of men. She seems to even struggle to read, unfortunately.
5
Not only OJ, but the "afluenza" defense as well. How pathetic.
6
You are very wrong, RB. I happen to have many South African friends, and they all tell horrible stories about robbers breaking into their homes, etc. Many of them have security fences and sophisticated alarm systems. One of my friends's cousin was shot in her own home! And no, they were not wealthy people-she happens to be a criminal defense attorney-now a public defender-, who defended many people, black and white, during the Apartheid regime. She and her husband were-and are middle class people of modest means. You don't seem to know very much about the daily situation in SA.
This judge has been WAY too lenient from the start! She should have been replaced when it was decided her original verdict was flawed. This man is guilty of murder! 6 years with no doubt 3 off for good behaviour is an insult to the woman he gunned down. He lied - did the crime but now doesn't want to do the time.
80
I can't believe it, six years for murder? She loses her life to him, and he loses 6 years. Justice is blind.
60
Well, at least he got some prison time. I cannot understand how anyone who so clumsily committed murder can also get away with it. Six years? He destroyed a life and that of everyone who loved Steenkamp. He was able to get out after serving just one year of a 5 year sentence? Now, he just waits, at the most, 3 years for parole...
Stardom struck these judges. At least people didn't (presumably) have to endure his overwrought theater vomiting during trial.
Stardom struck these judges. At least people didn't (presumably) have to endure his overwrought theater vomiting during trial.
108
Stardom struck one judge, Judge Masipa, who should have stepped down from the case for a second sentencing, as she is clearly incompetent and completely sided with Pistorius, in spite of disturbing evidence regarding his violence behavior toward female prison employees while he was incarcerated, and despite his violent behavior in bars (while staying with his uncle--not in prison) while the initial trial was going on. This is a travesty, and I feel for Gerrie Nel, the prosecutor. I hope that she will be removed from this case once and for all and that the prosecution will be allowed to appeal. The one person forgotten in all of this was Reeva. Masipa should be fired from her job.
3
Will Justice hold this time?
12
Too late for that already.
12