After almost a year of mystery and media fanfare on the killing of model and TV personality Reeva Steenkamp by her boyfriend and champion paralympian Oscar Pistorius, Judge Thokozile Masipa has finally reached a decision.
On October 21, Pistorius was sentenced to five years in jail, effectively ending one of the most watched cases in the world to-date, writes Yahoo! Sports. The 27-year-old, who was wearing a dark suit and tie, appeared to be calm during the reading of his sentence with hands clasped in front of him as Judge Masipa delivered an almost hour-long argument on her decision.
"I am of the view that a non-custodial sentence would send a wrong message to the community. On the other hand, a long sentence would not be appropriate either, as it would lack the element of mercy," she reportedly said.
Pistorius' conviction was 'culpable homicide,' not murder, which would have gotten a graver sentence. According to a related report by The Independent, the South African law states that while the athlete will need to spend 10 months in prison, he can seek to have his sentence lowered to 'house arrest,' or 'corrective supervision.' During the trial proceedings, the defense team had argued for three years' house arrest. The family has reportedly accepted Judge Masipa's decision and will not file an appeal, adds the news service.
Pistorius was also given a three-year, suspended jail term for a separate case of negligently handling a firearm, Yahoo! Sports adds. This case is different from the Reeva Steenkamp killing and is related to his discharging a gun at a crowded restaurant in October 2013.
The celebrated athlete reportedly left the Pretoria courthouse in a police van with bars on the windows and was led to the Kgosi Mampuru II prison at around 1:10pm local time, writes The Toronto Star. The facility has around 7,000 inmates. Given his condition as a double amputee and his status as a high-profile figure, Pistorius will be placed in the high-security hospital area, where every cell has a toilet, basin, a bed with a mattress, blankets, sheets and a pillow. It also has a cupboard. The wing has showers.
But Judge Masipa notes that Pistorious is a fighter. "I heard witness after witness overemphasizing the accused's vulnerability. He also has excellent coping skills. He worked hard and became respected worldwide."
Meanwhile, the Steenkamp family is said to have already forgiven the man who had killed their daughter, adding that they were happy with the decision, says the same report by The Independent.
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