The trial of Paralympian Oscar Pistorius resumes today at the high court in South Africa after a six-week gap to determine whether mental illness played a part in his actions on the night he shot his girlfriend – model and law graduate Reeva Steenkamp. The murder took place at his home on Valentine’s Day, 2013, however the 27-year-old athlete denies the accusation and insists the shooting was an accident after he mistook his 29-year-old girlfriend for an intruder.

The examination was deemed necessary after a psychiatrist testified that the athlete suffers from a generalized anxiety distorder rooted in the high crime rate in South Africa. This testimony serves to strengthen Mr. Pistorius’ defence as his ability to distinguish right from wrong may have been impaired on the fateful night of the shooting.

A group of experts assessed Mr. Pistorius for a month, starting on May 26. The findings, to be revealed in court, are expected to shed light on the motives and conditions under which Mr. Pistorius acted on the night of the murder.