We last checked in on Oscar Pistorius in December, when he was found guilty of murdering Reeva Steenkamp – go here to review the previous story. The guilty verdict in December 2015 came after several years of circus-like bullsh-t, including an initial guilty verdict of culpable homicide and a 10-month prison sentence for Pistorius. He was under house arrest in his uncle’s mansion for a while too. Well, they’re going to keep appealing and re-appealing, I guess. Pistorius was just sentenced to six years for the murder conviction, but guess what? He gets to appeal it.
Oscar Pistorius, the former Olympic and Paralympic star, has been sentenced to six years in prison for murder by a South African judge. The 29-year-old double-amputee, who became known the world over as the “Blade Runner,” faced up to 15 years in prison for fatally shooting his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp through a bathroom door of his home in 2013.
On Wednesday, Judge Thokozile Masipa said Pistorius had become a “fallen hero” and that his remorse for the shooting was a compelling reason for leniency, the Associated Press reports.
“He’s a fallen hero, he’s lost his career and he’s ruined financially. The worst is that having taken life of a fellow human being in the manner that he did he cannot be at peace. Recovery is possible, but it will depend mostly on the accused,” Masipa said during her ruling in Johannesburg, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Steenkamp’s parents, Barry and June, wiped away tears as the sentences was read, according the to Journal. Pistorius sat stoically as the judge explained her decision, CBS News reports.
Pistorius, who shot Steenkamp multiple times through a locked bathroom door at his home, has always maintained that he acted in self-defense, believing that an intruder had barricaded himself in the room. He says he never meant to shoot Steenkamp. To drive home the point, defense attorneys had him remove his prosthetic legs last month and walk across the court room on his stumps to show how vulnerable he was at the time of the late-night shooting.
Masipa had previously convicted Pistorius of manslaughter and sentenced him to five years in prison. He served less than one year before being released on bail during appeal. In December, an appeals court ruled Pistorius was guilty of murder and sent the case back to Masipa for a new sentence. Pistorius can still appeal the judge’s sentence, CBS reports.
The judge’s statement made me sick to my stomach. If you believe that Oscar murdered Reeva in cold blood – which is what I believe, that they were fighting and she was cowering in the toilet stall to get away from an angry and armed Pistorius – then hearing the judge’s sympathy for a murderer is callow and shameful. “He’s a fallen hero, he’s lost his career and he’s ruined financially.” Poor f—king baby, right? HE IS A MURDERER. That’s what the court said on appeal. “The worst is that having taken life of a fellow human being in the manner that he did he cannot be at peace.” Oh, so sad that HE will never be at peace for murdering his girlfriend.
Photos courtesy of WENN, Getty.
The biggest danger to women are men.
The judge can eat a bag of dead dongs as far as I’m concerned.
To continue with the d*ck analogies, this guy deserved a kick in the nuts, but instead gets a gentle ball-cupping from the judge. SMDH. The whole thing is outrageous and once again highlights the sheer power of wealthy male celebrities.
Love and support to Reeva’s family during what must surely be a difficult time ♥
I despise this whining, crying, self-pitying murderer. Reeva has become a footnote in her death. Her killer gets incarcerated for six years for taking her life, it’s insane. I don’t know the law in South Africa, but at this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if he won his appeal. Afterthought: every time this story comes around again, I think how she was only with him a few months and was on the verge of leaving him. God I hate him.
Amen, Kitten. It ‘s beyond disgusting! I thought Kaiser’s last paragraph was perfect.
…and saw your post too late to include in my response, Nancy, but you sum it up so well (and tragically): Reeva has become a footnote to her own death.
“The biggest danger to women are men” Truer words were never written!
An awful truth.
Yes, in fact I have now read in several different sources that the most frequent cause of death to pregnant women in the US is murder by significant other.
If he was a black man in South Africa, would that judge be so comprehensive?
Well I don’t know about South Africa but if he was a wealthy black athlete in the US, he would have been systemically protected the way OJ Simpson was.
Of course, he’d have to be a “good black” like Simpson was, and by “good black” I mean, proudly embracing and assimilating into white culture.
@kitten
That ESPN on docuseries should be required television.
@Mia V: As a black woman living in South Africa, to answer your question – no, he would not! We here are just as baffled by this very light sentence…. There have been many parallels drawn between his case and that of a well-known South Afrcan musician who is in for murder as well (drag-racing in street killed young kids on their way to school). He is still in jail with no or little coverage in the media on his ‘plight’….
Kitten: I don’t think so. Simpson was twenty years ago and people are still talking about the indignities and injustice. If an athletic or celebrity, black or white, shot their gf/wife through a wall while she sat on a toilet, I cannot even comprehend what defense they would have. It’s not 1994 anymore, I think if it happened here, he would be fried (not literally) but absolutely convicted.
@Sayrah-YES. It is mind-blowingly informative. So much that I didn’t know about the case and I followed it VERY closely at the time.
@Nancy-I don’t think the year is of any real significance because it’s not like the LAPD ceased to be racist over the past 20 years.
You have to remember that the LAPD’s history of racism goes back to the early 20th century when white police officers and white vigilante squads were brought to California to oversee (i.e. BRUTALIZE) black/Asian/Hispanic/Mexican migrant workers.
That a whole lot of ingrained and largely tolerated racist history to overcome.
If you don’t see that the police being called to OJ’s house eight times (one of those times OJ literally jumped in his car and escaped from under the LAPD’s noses) for domestic violence resulting in ZERO jail time as a cover-up by both law enforcement and a broken judicial system, then I really don’t know what to tell you. The LAPD let Nicole Brown Simpson die at the hands of her ex-husband–quite literally–and the criminal justice system enabled Simpson by failing to rebuke him for beating his wife.
Sorry meant to add that I’m not convinced that the LAPD would have stuck their neck out for Muhammad Ali or another black athlete who hadn’t married a white woman, lived in a wealthy white neighborhood, and largely associated/identified with white people/white culture.
I agree with Kitten and while we may see change on the outside, the institutions still act very racist & sexist. We do have an example of today where a man shot an unarmed woman and he got 6 years. If it was America and it was a wealthy (and I agree with Kitten’s point of OJ being a ‘good black’) celebrity/sports figure then he would get 6 years- maybe. Look at Rice?! That was on camera!
Men kill their partners all the time….and get very little time. We still have ‘crime of passion’ in our laws that get used to absolve men of the guilt they should have. Poor men cannot be expected to handle their strong, masculine emotions when women ‘push their buttons’ so they get less time for killing a partner. Women who kill their partners (and are statistically likely to be being abused by said partner) get twice to seven times as much time as men.
Thanks, @Leelie. Always good to hear from somoene who is there!
So sad. Echoes of the Stanford rape case and all other cases where race and gender influence sentencing. The judge views *him* as the victim instead of, um, the poor woman he killed?
Some people have got a lot more for a lot less. It’s a woefully inadequate sentence.
No kidding! Plus this judge is so stupid, “he cannot at be at peace” because he killed someone. HELLO The dude is a straight up sociopath, I guarantee you he feels NO remorse for killing her, only for getting caught, only for his story not being believed. There is no way he will feel ANYTHING once he is released. Heck, he even had a new girlfriend almost immediately after killing the old one!
This judge is so naive it’s disgraceful. UGH
Again — women only exist as adjuncts of men. We are the expansion pack to their main game. Condiments, but not ketchup that goes on everything.
I hope her family finds support and peace in this time.
I hate that this is the truth.
I agree. There is one instance, however, that stands out in my mind. The preacher’s wife that shot and killed her husband because she claimed he made her wear wigs, heels and act like a whore. So she killed him. Divorce anyone? She was convicted of voluntary manslaughter but only served five months in jail. I guess for the weak of mind, evil or plain unaware individuals, just kill your partner and accept the consequences. It’s a Mad World
@Nancy: What on Earth? That’s shitty and terrible and has absolutely nothing to do with the systematic rape and murder of women that goes consistently un(der)punished.
I agree with Rachael. Let’s not put out one weird case to muck up the water from the fact that men who kill their partners get very little time. And, statistically, women who kill their abusive partners get two to seven times more time in prison then men who kill the partners that they are abusing.
Oh- and that case about the preacher’s wife….she was physically, mentally & sexually abused by her husband. She had a fragile mental state & claimed that the firearm went off accidentally while they were arguing. There is more then “he had her dress up”…….that’s a pretty sick story & I am glad she got the mental health she deserved and is free to raise her daughters.
Yeah, I couldn’t believe the judge’s rationale either. And since when is “showing remorse” a legit reason to significantly cut a killer’s already short possible max sentence sentence even shorter? Appalling.
And, since when is appearing to be remorseful accepted as genuine. Anyone can turn on the tears when it benefits them. I feel like this judge needs to just write sucker across her forehead in Sharpie marker and be done with it.
He feels remorse alright…remorse for being caught!
He feels sorry for himself, that’s it. he doesn’t feel guilt or remorse. Dude’s a psycho!
Puke.
Do you mean puke like Oscar used to puke in his bucket during the trial? To show how innocent and traumatized he was. That makes me puke, too.
Makes me puke too. Wasn’t ‘well enough’ to give evidence at his sentencing but well enough to give a snivelling interview to itv.
However, if he is the violent narcissist I believe him to be, his true nature will show itself in the fullness of time…he won’t be able to keep up the act and hide it.
Just the thought that a cold-blooded murderer is practically getting a pat on his back and sympathy because he “regrets” it, while the real victim’s memory is ridiculed…that makes me puke.
That man is an entitled p.o.s and the judge is an asshole. Money probably change hands anyway
Thie judges statements will be forever evidence that we are all products of a racist sexist and classist system (coz I am sure somebody is busy typing how she is a black woman and therefore completely fair). We are all potentially influenced by those learned biases. I am sure that if you remove even one of the variables here (white, male, celebrity) you end up with a less sympathetic ruling.
In the U.S., the average convicted rapist gets 6.5 years. The average convicted armed robber gets 45 years. Priorities, girls, priorities. We’re not among the top.
In the Steubenville case, the hacker who exposed the evidence that the prosecution tried to bury got more time than the rapists. And people wonder why women don’t report their assaults…
@honeybee God it’s disgusting isn’t it? @marshmellow of course the hacker got severely punished…he exposed the corruption of the people in power! Since the podcast “Serial” and the follow up podcasts “Undisclosed” and “Truth and Justice,” I have come to realize there is SO MUCH corruption and police/prosecutorial misconduct…especially if the defendant is a poor person of color. I must admit that it does really bother me that this judge, a woman of color, made excuses and felt pity for this entitled douchebag.
I would say that the stat of 6.5 years is skewed. The average convicted rapist gets far less because they plea out on a lesser charge. And only 1% of rapists get any crime at all. Still, though, your stat shows our pathetic priorities as a society.
Mandatory sentences really screwed up our already screwed up system in the name of justice. A convicted rapist usually never goes to trial and instead pleas out on a lesser charge & crime. Most rapists will plea down to attempted rape or sodomy or some other crap like exposing themselves and get months. Then the stats don’t go down as for a rape, but instead for the lesser crimes when all the people involved know that he is a rapist. So I would argue that many, many of the stats attached to people who plead to lesser crimes are actually convicted rapists, but our system had to attach a different crime so that they could give less time in lieu of going to trial.
At least this is true in my part of the USA….not sure about other areas. We have guys who raped, got caught, plead to attempted whatever & now say that they just got caught peeing at night in a school yard when someone sees their past. Smdh.
Unless you’re Brock Turner and then you get 6 months, and do 3 with good behavior. The rationale used by the judges sounds the same in both cases. Poor men and their ruined careers.
Keep mentioning Brock Turner the rapist. The more often, the less likely a future potential employer will miss on their web search that this guy is a POS.
I am disgusted with this sentence – so Reeva’s life was worth 6 years. They should have had another judge, this one has always been biased to that self absorbed murderer. He’ll have the same cushy life in prison he had before and probably be out sooner for ‘good behaviour’.
Shame on you SA, you have shown the world that a life is cheap, especially if you are a woman.
His tears were always for himself and the fact that his money and celebrity couldn’t buy him innocence. He is not remorseful for what he did – only that he was made to take responsibility for his actions.
I hope that her amazing parents can find some solace in that he was found guilty – he murdered her in cold blood.
If truth really be told, killers who are faced with the aftermath of their actions often do vomit – it’s from fear, guilt and self-hate – not trauma or sympathy! Genuine people will cry and shake, but its usually only the perps that vomit – because they can’t stand to see what they did and the photos make it real.
I would not put it past him or his legal team that he took something vomit-inducing just in time for court.
His crying on tape sounded fake as hell to me also.
Perfect comment Betti!
Jennifer, I don’t agree. They don’t feel self-hate. The opposite, he thinks he’s a superior being that doesn’t deserve to be punished. And trust me, those photos don’t upset him AT ALL. He’s just upset that there’s evidence.
6 YEARS?
Tell me it’s a joke.
No joke. And even if he doesnt appeal, he will likely only serve 2/3rds of that.
Maybe he will be the recipient of true justice behind bars. (I can hope)
Oh, the verdict made me so angry, I can’t even form a coherent sentence. Just, what the hell?
*deep breaths*
This guy’s sniveling, self-pitying expression enrages me.
F*ck him and the judge who coddled him.
This is so upsetting, I can barely think about it.
I was afraid he’d be outright acquitted, so small blessings? Hope he at least has to serve the full 6 years (yes, it’s pitiful for the crime).
Yeah me too. I thought that was a very real possibility. So yeah, compared to acquittal at least this is something. Not nearly enough though.
No. According to legal experts he will serve three if the six year sentence is upheld.
Oh poor baby. How nauseating. And what is wrong with the courts there? Is this going to go on forever?
The pity walk in court, the fake tears, the lame excuses.
It is a shame that this man only gets 6 years after what he has done. Horrific.
Women’s lives are so cheap.
That is just so well phrased. six years?! That’s barely a slap on the wrist. It takes longer to be a doctor, 4 yrs. of college, 4 yrs. medical school, 3 yrs. residency. There are people who will be on their journey to becoming a doctor and won’t even be finished by the time he’s done with his sentence.
Gosh, how heartless of us not to see how much he’s suffering. He and Brock Turner should get together and have a big cry fest over how they can’t even enjoy steak anymore.
GOOD. At least he got convicted and is going to serve some real time instead of his BS ‘house arrest’
And that judges speech is awful. He’s not a fallen hero or a athlete that just happened to accidentally murder someone, he’s a abuser and murderer who just happened to be a decent runner. Disgusting.
Let’s hope at least that this sentence sticks. Rest in Peace, Reeva. You were beautiful inside and out, and you had your life stolen by a heartless bastard. Pistorius is such a jerk he may induce someone to shank him in prison, but if that doesn’t happen, be ready when he comes out to remind everyone just who he really is.
This whole trial/sentence process has been sickening, and I feel disgusted that the defense attorneys would stoop so low (no pun) as to parade him about the courtroom on his stumps for pity, and that somehow, gobsmackingly, it seems to have successfully bamboozled the judge.
“He’s a fallen hero, he’s lost his career and he’s ruined financially”
F*ck you judge Reeva will never take another breath or see another day. Her family will never hear her voice again, hug, laugh or cry with her ever again because of this piece of Sh*t. This “judge” sounds like they were a fan of Oscar hence this BS statement.
Don’t get me started on him only getting 6 years, I can’t
I feel bad on so many levels. The life that Pistorius ruined is his own and he gets to keep it. The life he took wasn’t and can never be given back. I am not somebody who thinks criminal law should be revenge justice, but here the idea of justice is entirely missing from the picture.
Pistorius fought hard to be permitted to compete at the “normal” Olympics, because he didn’t want to be treated as disabled. Now, when it suits him, he makes a spectacle of himself by vomiting in the courtroom(first trial), hopping around on his stumps to get out of the consequences for murder by playing the pity card. Disgusting.
But then, he is a wealthy, privileged, white man. Reeva was only a woman. Domestic abuse can be ignored. We’re not worth it. This verdict is actually endangering women. Because you can, literally, get away with murder.
Excellent point about the Olympics…
I can’t even write a full comment on this. Sickened.
Disgusting
Aw, poor baby lost his career? Reeva lost her life. Her parents lost their child. Her friends and family lost someone they loved. There is no comparison.
A couple of weeks ago, a man over here in SA was convicted for impersonating a dead local music star(even had sex with the deceased’s wife). His sentence: 22yrs. For impersonation. And this a-hole gets 6 for MURDER.
I don’t know the facts of that case but as you know the police botched the Pistorious case. If the police in that case did what they were supposed to do then I understand the sentence.
Even if they did their jobs properly for that case, 22 years for… impersonation!?! WTF!
“His life is already ruined” blah di blah di blah. cry me a river. the Nile and the Amazon be my judge.
this judge and the judge who presided over Stanford athlete case need to get together and pat each other’s back for being “merciful”.
funny how Killer Oscar and Rapist Brock end up being the same snivelly weak men who couldn’t take responsibility over their own actions. and to hell with the justice system that protects them.
my thoughts exactly. isn’t justitia supposed to be blind?
the same effed up reasoning for a light sentence. “but his future will be impacted by the verdict.” i cannot wrap my head around it. you commit a crime. you shall be punished. fuck your future. reeva had a future. she is dead. and not just her, her family is going to struggle with this forever.
and i will believe he actually serves time in prison and not get released to cushy house-arrest in a matter of months if i see it.
forgive me, i don’t intend to violate the commenting guidelines, but i do wish oscar pistorius a short life, let’s put it that way.
If their lives are ruined, it’s through their own actions, and deserved. They are not the victims. I’m stunned that these two judges see both of these scumbag men this way.
I should have scrolled down. I said the same thing.
This is disgusting. Even his face disgusts me. I feel like we should have a picture of Reeva in this post.. She was a real person with people who loved her. He’s a piece of garbage.
http://dailyentertainmentnews.com/wpgo/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/gina-myers-and-reeva-steenkamp.jpg
Pistorious has the right to appeal his case. That’s not unbelievable.
OMG… he took a life. She was a person. But I guess she doesn’t count, because models are women and they can’t be fallen heroes. What about her FAMILY? If I were that woman’s mother I would just die, the injustice would be too much. The whole thing is disgusting. He should go to jail! I don’t care that he has a handicap.
6 yrs?? that’s all?? and will he even do that??
this angers me, he gets all of the pity and it sickens me.
I can’t imagine how Reeva’s family feels. I like to believe that karma will come for him. He deserves to rot in hell.
That stunt of having him parade the court room without his prosthetics was to show how vulnerable he is NOW. I have never seen a more obvious and pure ploy for sympathy. It worked.
This really is terrible, I’ve been following the trial and watched the verdict today. Actually 15 years is the MINIMUM sentence for murder in South Africa (and Murder was the final verdict the appeal court decided on a few months ago. So not only did Judge Masupa incorrectly interpret the law (not to mention the actual facts of the case…) in the first trial, and wrongfully sentenced him with Culpable homicide (a 5 year sentence), she has now had to accept the Appeal court verdict of Murder, but she’s sentenced him to less than half of a minimum murder sentence. (6 years, not including the time already spent).
He will first be eligible for parole after 18 months – two years, so he may only serve 2 years then do community service.
In explaining why she’d sentenced so lightly for a Murder verdict, she said it’s because the mitigating factors far outweigh the aggravating factors. I.e. she still believed all the nonsense that he thought it was an intruder, that he’s actually remorseful etc. She’s either incredibly stupid or money changed hands (probably the latter).
Also what I found shocking was, Mr Steenkamp (Reeva’s dad) testified and Masupa actually used his words against him. She said the Steenkamps have forgiven Oscar, but not because he is remorseful, only because as christians they are taught forgiveness in order to not hold on to the hatred. This was translated into a mitigating factor by Masupa (in her reading of the verdict), that ”the family have forgiven Oscar, and the healing process is well underway” – pretty much a direct quote!
She also laid the ground work for him getting out early and doing community service. She’s been incredibly biased all along and her (and his defense team) use the argument that one must not rely on public opinion and outrage, and only the facts of the case. I agree with this, but in this case the public is quite well versed in the facts of the case and the masses have actually got it right in my opinion – and most people remain in a state of astonishment and disbelief following this verdict today. His team can’t appeal but it will be interesting to see if the state appeal. For Reeva’s family, I think they’ve already suffered so much by this circus that I can’t see that happening, it’s so sad and unfair.
Was the judge paid off? One has to consider this possibility.
Yes trashaddict, I really think she must have been – and the fact the entire trial was recorded for the world to see, clearly was not a deterrent! I’m sure it happens all the time but I was surprised it can happen with all the international attention.
As a S.African I saw this coming a mile away and frankly I’m not surprised. What’s worse is that he will serve not even half of his sentence and once he gets out he will be paid millions for a tell all book or an interview with CNN, BBC ect. and once that is done a reality show will follow suit *sigh* Justice in this country is not for the rich and famous and Oscar is living proof.
Yeah Zacko, even with all the international attention he has still gotten away with it! 🙁 Do you think the Judge was bribed, or is it more about wealth & access to best legal teams and special treatment?
I don’t think she was bribed I just think Oscar had enough money and fame to attract and hire lawyers that could argue his case to his favour. I think what makes most people angry is that we are constantly told that justice is fair and that everyone is equal in the eyes of the law but this trial proved that money + fame can wield the law. If Oscar didn’t have access to the privileges that separates him from the rest of us then the outcome would have been so different. Last but not least, there is this perception in our society (S.Africa) that violent crimes belong to black people so when a white person commits such acts it rattles the system hence you’ll find that they will go an extra mile to investigate what led him to commit such acts, that is why his lawyers were smart enough to use his past and disability to their advantage.
That’s so sad, Zacko – it sounds like it’s the same story about white privilege/wealth privilege that happens everywhere, but it is magnified to much greater degree in SA 🙁 Lady Justice is blind at the best of times, but in this case she’s blind, deaf and dumb.
“He’s a fallen hero, he’s lost his career and he’s ruined financially.”
Yeah guess what, poor Reeva lost her f*cking life.
If he had not murdered a woman he would not have lost his career etc. I’m so sick of the offenders getting treated with so much (and sometimes even more than the actual victims) compassion
FINALLY!! And 6 years for a murder is still nothing..
I am appalled by this- how could the judge fall for his crocodile tears and that stunt they pulled with him walking on his stumps? There shouldve been a different judge passing sentence anyway – hadnt she already made an error?- There is no justice, he took Reevas life in cold blood – and the judge feels sorry for HIM? Unbelievable.
About time!
This is the same judge who excused him in the first place. Her judgment was appealed by Gerrie Nels successfully. The appellate court found him guilty of murder. For some reason they referred the sentencing back to the same judge(!): the minimum sentence is15 years. I can’t help wondering if she was paid off. That was my thought when I saw the first verdict and Pistoruis was allowed by her to spend his sentence in his uncle’s luxury mansion without any anklet. He was let out on bail by this same judge pending appeal.
Kaiser is exactly right -/ this judge is on the Pistorius payroll and did not learn from her rebuke from the appellate court. Such rebukes are rare.
In South Africa the Pistorius money talked!
Did anyone see him crying and puking during the sentencing hearing?
He took acting lessons for a month before the original trial that served him well with the same judge — it stinks to high heaven.
As one who is studying law in south africa, from my knowledge, higher courts rarely sentence where the finding is being appealed. Sentencing is usually referred back to the judge at the court where the case was appealed from. And judges are allowed to deviate from the minimum sentence if there are mitigating circumstances, which Judge Masipa found.
Yes, sending it back to the original judge seems counterproductive. Seems that’s the structure in SA but it doesn’t make sense – the judge initially messed up legally. Then –
Oh, we’ll send it back and let you sentence him – even though you clearly still have your biases and misconceptions. The sentence is disgraceful. I hope there is a route for the prosecution still to appeal this successfully…
It was a BLACK judge people!!! I’m South African and disgusted!! So all these racist comments??? Find out the facts first…..she let him off!!! The white people were trying to get him prosecuted. Wish people knew their facts before they commented???