Oscar Pistorius Convicted of Murder, Set for Rethinking of Sentence

A South African appellate court overturned a lower court's conviction of Oscar Pistorius for manslaughter, instead convicting him of murder for the fatal shooting of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in 2013. The Supreme Court of Appeal found Pistorius guilty of murder based on the concept of "dolus eventualis" in South African law, which holds that a person can be convicted of murder if they know an action could cause someone's death but do it anyway. Pistorius, a double-amputee Olympian, had been serving a one-year prison sentence for manslaughter before being placed under house arrest. He is now set for a new sentencing hearing, which will determine his punishment.

Key Takeaways:

• Oscar Pistorius was convicted of murder by the Supreme Court of Appeal, overturning his previous conviction of manslaughter.
• The court found Pistorius guilty of murder based on the concept of "dolus eventualis" in South African law, which holds that a person can be convicted of murder if they know an action could cause someone's death but do it anyway.
• The minimum punishment for murder in South Africa is a 15-year prison sentence, but the judge allowed for a lesser sentence in exceptional circumstances.
• Pistorius had been serving a one-year prison sentence for manslaughter before being placed under house arrest in October.
• The trial court can consider whether Pistorius should be shown leniency due to his disability and being a first-time offender.
• Reeva Steenkamp's family has expressed relief and gratitude over the judgment, with her father stating that the family "can now all get on with our lives."

Statistics:

• 15 years: the minimum punishment for murder in South Africa.
• 2013: the year Reeva Steenkamp was fatally shot by Oscar Pistorius.

Sources:

• Associated Press