Oscar Pistorius sentenced to six years of imprisonment
The South African High Court has sentenced Olympian Oscar Pistorius to 6 years in prison for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. Pistorius, who became the first amputee sprinter to compete at the Olympics, is obliged to serve half of the sentence, before becoming eligible for parole.
"The sentence that I impose on the accused... is six years imprisonment," High court judge Thokozile Masipa said in her statement. However, the general consensus is that Pistorius got off lightly, with one legal expert saying to the BBC, “The judge was sympathetic and empathetic to Pistorius. It was clear in the tone of her entire judgement”.
Judge Thokozile Masipa said that she believes a long-term prison sentence will not serve justice, despite the public opinion. "Public opinion may be loud and persistent but it can play no role in the decision of this court," she added. The Judge went on to clarify that there was no indication of an abusive relationship between the couple.
However, women's rights groups and the victim's parents have expressed their disappointment at the ruling. "We are very disappointed from five years that we fought against, and now it is six, what is that? It's an insult to the women of South Africa,”Jacqui Mofokeng, spokeswoman of the ANC party's women league, was quoted as saying by the AFP after the sentencing.