South African judge Thokozile Masipa acquitted star 27-year-old athlete Oscar Pistorius of the murder of model and law graduate Reeva Steenkamp however said he acted “negligently” in firing at her through the bathroom door. Pistorius argued that he shot his girlfriend after he mistook her for an intruder. The acquittal means that Pistorius can be free on bail ahead of his sentencing on October 13.
Pistorius was unemotional as the verdict was read, but friends and family of the 29-year-old were very emotional at the courtroom gallery.
The family of the victim reacted to the news in disbelief. Barry Steemkamp, the father of the victim, told ITV News that there was still “something missing” in the events as told by Pistorius. “I think there was more to the whole story, you know, coming up to the actual shooting, the killing,” he said.
The mother, June Steenkamp, told America’s NBC that her daughter had died a “horrible, painful, terrible death”, she added that she can’t believe that it was an accident.
Under South African law, culpable homicide carries no mandatory sentence, but Masipa, the judge has a reputation for handing out stiff sentences and Pistorius could still face a heavy sentence for his crime of negligence.
The judges ruling:
Highlights of the trial:
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The first witness Michelle Burger broke down and cried as she testified that she heard the shots after the screams.
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Pistorius’ lawyer Barry Roux said he would call a sound expert to testify that Pistorius “screams like a woman when he is anxious or agitated” and that the gunshots were Pistorius striking the bathroom door with a cricket bat to get to Steenkamp after realizing he had shot her.
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Pistorius vomited, cried and squirmed as Professor Gert Saayman testified about Steenkamp’s wounds and stomach contents. He continued vomiting as police ballistics expert Captain Christiaan Mangena testified about the sequence of the shots.
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Ex-girlfriend Samantha Taylor told the court that Pistorius often shouted at her and did not sound like a woman.
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Pistorius gave a tearful apology to the victim’s mother, June Steenkamp.
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Prsecutor Gerrie Nel yelled at Pistorius: “Say it! Say you killed Reeva Steenkamp.”
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Dr. Merryll Vorster said she had diagnosed Pistorius with Generalized Anxiety Disorcer which may have had an impact on the night of the shooting. After that, Pistorius was evaluated and found that he had no mental disorder.
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