South Africa: Supreme Court sets date for Oscar Pistorius hearing

Imprimer

CAPE  TOWN, South Africa, September 19 (Infosplusgabon) - South Africa’s Supreme Court has set 2 November to hear the state's appeal of convicted murderer Oscar Pistorius’ sentence.

 

On Valentine's Day in 2013, the Paralympian fatally shot his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp, in his Pretoria home. He claimed he had mistaken Steenkamp for an intruder hiding in the bathroom, but he was arrested and charged with murder. He was found guilty of culpable homicide the following year and received a five-year prison sentence.

 

However, prosecutors asked the sentencing judge for permission to appeal the verdict. Permission was granted in December, and the case was presented to a five-person panel at the Supreme Court of Appeal.

 

In December 2015, that court overturned the culpable homicide verdict and convicted him of murder.

 

Judge Thokozile Masipa last year extended Pistorius' sentence to six years' imprisonment for murder.

 

This will be the second time the state is appealing the high-profile court case. The State argues that the double-amputee’s six-year sentence is shockingly inappropriate and that he should have been handed the minimum term of 15 years behind bars.

 

FIN/INFOSPLUSGABON/PIS/GABON 2017

 

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