If his story looks like a drama series, Oscar Pistorius made fiction a reality. Sentenced for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on March 3, 2014, the first disabled athlete in history to participate in the Olympic Games with able-bodied, now 36 years old, awaits the verdict of the commission which meets in Pretoria, Friday, March 31, to decide whether or not to release the athlete early. South African law provides that a convicted person may, once half of his sentence has elapsed, benefit from a sentence adjustment. Franceinfo: sport returns on the six key dates of a dramatic affair.
On the night of February 13 to 14, 2013, Oscar Pistorius woke up with a start at 3 a.m. He grabbed his weapon and fired four shots in the direction of the toilets of his ultra-secure residence in Pretoria, where the noise came from. He will then say that he thought that a burglar had managed to break into his home, a thesis that he will defend throughout the procedure.
Behind the door, he discovers his wife’s body riddled with bullets, two of which were in the head. Witnesses present near the couple’s residence at the time of the events give a completely different version of the facts. “I was awakened at three o’clock in the morning by the terrible cries of a woman. She was calling for help”, said Michelle Burger, who lived less than 200 meters from the sportsman’s house. The thesis of the accident is excluded, Oscar Pistorius is accused of the murder of Reeva Steenkamp.
A year of investigation later, the trial begins on March 3, 2014. Two Charges have been brought against the multiple Paralympic medalist: premeditated murder and illegal carrying of weapons. More than a hundred people are called to testify before the High Court in Pretoria. In the courtroom, only one judge and a first question: “Do you understand the charges, Mr. Pistorius? Yes, your honor. What do you plead? Not guilty.”
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Initially scheduled for three weeks, the trial by Oscar Pistorius spans eight months. Contradictory testimonies, tears and nausea at the reading of the autopsy, exchange of damning text messages, this world-famous judicial soap opera delivers its verdict on September 11, 2014.
September 11, 2014: a contested decision
For South African justice, Oscar Pistorius did not intend to kill his companion. The athlete is found guilty of manslaughter for the murder of Reeva Steenkamp, the single judge considering not having enough evidence to determine the intention to kill.
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After eight months of an extraordinary trial, the South African was sentenced to five years in prison on October 21, 2014. The magistrate rendered a verdict, strongly criticized, of manslaughter “by negligence”the same qualification that applies to a drunk driver who kills pedestrians on the road.
August 21, 2015: the prosecution appeals
Oscar Pistorius thus escaped the qualification of “murder”, punishable by life imprisonment. Following this decision, the incomprehension of public opinion mingled with that of a large number of jurists in South Africa, and earned a volley of criticism from the judge in charge of the case, Thokozile Masipa. DJust ix months after being convicted of manslaughter, the former athlete is on his way out of prison.
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LThe country’s prosecutor’s office therefore appealed the judgment on August 21, 2015, paving the way for a review of the trial. Ihe Ministry of Justice suspends the decision to release the South African, saying it has no legal basis.
November 24, 2017: an aggravated sentence
Appearing before the judges on his stumps, on June 15, 2016, Oscar Pistorius then showed himself “broken”, according to the defense. But the former champion is sentenced to six years in prison for murder.
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However, except in exceptional circumstances, the minimum sentence for murder in South Africa is 15 years. The prosecution judges this sentence “scandalously lenient” and appealed the decision again on July 21, 2016 by seizing the Supreme Court. The initial sentence of five years’ imprisonment “is set aside and replaced by the following: the accused is sentenced to a prison term of 13 years and 5 months”Judge Willie Seriti declares on November 24, 2017. In March 2018, the Constitutional Court, the highest court in the country, rejected a final appeal by the ex-champion, ending a long battle in court.
March 31, 2023: early release reviewed
South African law provides that a convict may, once half of his sentence has been served, benefit from accommodation. The Paralympic Medalist has been eligible since July 2021. The long procedure started more than a year ago. In July 2022, he notably met the parents of Reeva Steenkamp, a mandatory step in the context of his request for release.
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The decision whether or not to release in advance the former king of the stadiums amputated with both legs now belongs to the South African commission, which meets Friday, March 31 in Pretoria. His behavior in detention, his physical and mental state as well as the risk of recidivism will be scrutinized.
