Oscar Pistorius Part II

 

2012 Summer Paralympics

Pistorius also carried the flag at the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Paralympics on 29 August. He entered the T44 classification men's 100 meters, 200 meters, and 400 meters races, and the T42–T46 4 × 100 meters relay.

In the 200-metre competition, Pistorius established a new T43 world record of 21.30 seconds in his heat on 1 September, but he was defeated in the final the next day by Alan Oliveira of Brazil. Pistorius took silver and subsequently complained about the length of Oliveira's blades. He later apologized for the timing of his remarks, but not the content of his complaint. The IPC confirmed the length of Oliveira's blades was proportional to his body, with all the finalists measured before the race. The IPC also confirmed that Pistorius had raised the issue of blade length with it six weeks before the race. SASCOC issued a statement welcoming Pistorius's apology for his outburst, declared its full support for him, and promised to assist him in discussions with the IPC about the issue of lengthened prostheses after the conclusion of the Games. The IPC expressed willingness to engage with Pistorius about the issue. Australian runner Jack Swift and American runner Jerome Singleton also expressed support for Pistorius's position.

Pistorius won a team gold medal on 5 September, running the anchor leg as part of the South African 4 × 100 meters relay team, setting a team world record time of 41.78 seconds. His Beijing Olympics 100-metre title was defended with a season's best time of 11.17 seconds, but was succeeded by Great Britain's Jonnie Peacock. On 8 September, the last full day of competition, Pistorius won gold in the T44 400 meters with a time of 46.68 seconds, breaking the Paralympic record.

Achievements

Other awards and accolades

In 2006, Pistorius was conferred the Order of Ikhamanga in Bronze (OIB) by then-President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, for outstanding achievement in sports. On 9 December 2007, Pistorius was awarded the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Helen Rollason Award, which is conferred for outstanding courage and achievement in the face of adversity.[125] This was later revoked following his murder conviction.

In May 2008, Pistorius made the "Time 100" – Time magazine's annual list of the world's most influential people – appearing third in the "Heroes & Pioneers" section. Erik Weihenmayer, the first blind person to climb Mount Everest, wrote in an essay that Pistorius was "on the cusp of a paradigm shift in which disability becomes ability, disadvantage becomes advantage. Yet we mustn't lose sight of what makes an athlete great. It's too easy to credit Pistorius's success to technology. Through birth or circumstance, some are given certain gifts, but it's what one does with those gifts, the hours devoted to training, the desire to be the best, that is at the true heart of a champion." In 2012, he made the list again.

In February 2012, Pistorius was awarded the Laureus World Sports Award for Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability for 2012. On 22 August 2012, he was honored with the unveiling of a large mural depicting his achievements in the town of Gemona, Italy.

On 9 September 2012, Pistorius was shortlisted by the IPC for the Whang Youn Dai Achievement Award as a competitor "who is fair, honest and is uncompromising in his or her values and prioritizes the promotion of the Paralympic Movement above personal recognition". According to director Craig Spence, he was nominated by an unnamed external organization from South Korea. The award went to two other athletes.

After the 2012 Summer Paralympics, the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow announced it would confer on Pistorius, among others, an honorary doctorate. In February 2015, following his conviction for culpable homicide, the university revoked the honorary degree.

Sponsorship and charitable activities

In 2012, Pistorius had sponsorship deals worth US$2 million a year with Össur, BT, Nike, Oakley, and Thierry Mugler. He also participated as a model in advertising campaigns.

Following the murder charge, sponsors were initially hesitant to abandon him, but after a week, sponsors began to withdraw their support.

In 2008, Pistorius collaborated in the release of a music CD called Olympic Dream. Produced in Italy, it consists of disco remixes of music pieces that Pistorius finds inspirational, and two tracks written for him, "Olympic Dream" and "Run Boy Run", for which he provided voiceovers. Part of the CD's proceeds of sale went to charity. Pistorius also actively supports the Mineseeker Foundation, a charity that works to raise awareness for landmine victims and has a support program to provide prostheses for survivors.

Personal life

Pistorius is related to the South African psychological profiler, Micki Pistorius, who is his aunt.

Pistorius has three visible tattoos: the dates of his mother's birth and death ("LVIII V VIII – II III VI" – 8 May 1958 – 6 March 2002) are tattooed on the inside of his right arm; on his back is the Bible verse 1 Corinthians 9:26–27 which begins, "I do not run like a man running aimlessly"; on his right arm are the Olympic rings and olive wreath. He lived in Silverwoods Country Estate, Pretoria. The house was sold in June 2014. Aside from running, his interests include architecture, motorcycling, playing the electric guitar, and breeding race horses.

In February 2009, Pistorius was seriously injured when he was thrown from a boat in an accident on the Vaal River near Johannesburg. He was airlifted to Milpark Hospital, where he underwent surgery to repair broken facial bones, including his nose and jaw. There were initial concerns about his fitness, but he recovered fully. However, the accident affected his training and running schedule for that year.

Golf

In 2010, Pistorius played in the Laureus World Sports Awards Golf Challenge at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and the Help-net Fund Celebrity Charity Golf Day. He was scheduled as an amateur golfer in the 2012 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship held at St Andrews, Carnoustie, and Kingsbarns in Scotland. Pistorius has a 21 handicap in South Africa, but played off an 18 handicap for the Championship.

Publications and media appearances

Pistorius's autobiography, Dream Runner, was published in Italian in 2007 with Gianni Merlo, a journalist with La Gazzetta dello Sport. An English version titled Blade Runner was released in 2008.

In 2010, Pistorius appeared on L'isola dei famosi, an Italian version of Celebrity Survivor. On 7 January 2012, he appeared as a special guest on the Italian version of Dancing with the Stars called Ballando con le Stelle at Auditorium Rai in Rome, where he danced a tango with Annalisa Longo to ABBA's "The Winner Takes It All".

On 9 October 2012, Pistorius appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He was also scheduled to appear on Piers Morgan Tonight and the Larry King Now show at later dates.

Murder of Reeva Steenkamp

In the early morning of Thursday, 14 February 2013, Pistorius shot and killed Reeva Steenkamp at his home in Pretoria. Pistorius admitted that he shot Steenkamp four times, causing her death, but claimed he mistook her for a possible intruder.

Pistorius's murder trial began on 3 March 2014 in the Pretoria High Court. On 20 May 2014, the trial proceedings were adjourned until 30 June to enable Pistorius to undergo a psychiatric evaluation to establish whether he could be held criminally responsible for shooting Steenkamp. Judge Thokozile Masipa agreed to a request for the evaluation by prosecutor Gerrie Nel after forensic psychiatrist Merryll Vorster testified for the defense that she had diagnosed Pistorius with generalized anxiety disorder. On 30 June 2014, the trial resumed after the evaluation reports said Pistorius could be held criminally responsible. The state prosecutor was quoted as saying, "Mr. Pistorius did not suffer from a mental illness or defect that would have rendered him not criminally responsible for the offence charged." The defense closed its case on 8 July, and closing arguments were heard on 7 and 8 August.

On 12 September, Pistorius was found guilty of culpable homicide and one firearm-related charge of reckless endangerment related to discharging a firearm in a restaurant. He was found not guilty of two other firearm-related charges relating to possession of illegal ammunition and firing a firearm through the sunroof of a car. On 21 October 2014, he received a prison sentence of a maximum of five years for culpable homicide and a concurrent three-year suspended prison sentence for the separate reckless endangerment conviction.

First prison term

In June 2015, Pistorius was recommended for early release, as early as August. South African Commissioner of Correctional Services Zach Modise told the BBC of the decision by the case management committee at the Kgosi Mampuru II prison in Pretoria, where Pistorius was being held: "Under South African law, he is eligible for release under 'correctional supervision' having served a sixth of his sentence."

After Pistorius served approximately one-sixth of his prison term, his release date to house arrest was announced for 21 August 2015. This release was based on good behavior and the fact that he was not considered a danger to the community. Pistorius was expected to remain under house arrest and correctional supervision, and was expected to perform community service as part of his continuing sentence. Regardless of his release from prison, Pistorius could not return to official athletic competition until the whole five years of his sentence were complete. On 19 August 2015, his release was unexpectedly blocked by South Africa's Justice Minister Michael Masutha. According to Masutha, the parole board's decision for early release was "premature". Legal experts noted that the move could have been due to political pressure and had implications for other cases of pending early release. He was released from prison on 19 October 2015.

Case appeal

On 4 November 2014, prosecutors applied to the sentencing judge for permission to appeal the culpable homicide verdict, stating that the five-year prison term was "shockingly light, inappropriate and would not have been imposed by any reasonable court". Judge Thokozile Masipa ruled on 10 December 2014 that the prosecution could challenge her ruling of acquitting Pistorius of premeditated murder and convicting him of the lesser charge of culpable homicide; however, she ruled that the state could not appeal the length of the sentence. The case was then set for appeal in front of a five-person panel at the Supreme Court of Appeal.

The date for prosecutors to submit court papers outlining their arguments was set for 17 August 2015, and the date for the defense team's response was set for 17 September 2015. The date for the appeal hearing was set for November 2015. The prosecutors' argument rested on Judge Masipa's application of the legal principle of dolus eventualis (whether an accused did actually foresee the outcome of his actions, rather than whether he or she should have), and that the judge made an error in concluding Pistorius had not foreseen that by firing four shots through the closed door of the toilet cubicle, he would kill or injure whoever was behind the door.

 

The appeal was heard on 3 November 2015, in the Supreme Court of Appeal, Bloemfontein. The matter was heard before five Supreme Court judges. By a unanimous decision, the court overturned Pistorius's culpable homicide conviction and found him guilty of murder in the death of Reeva Steenkamp. Judge Eric Leach read the summary of judgment. The panel of five judges found for the prosecutor's argument that Pistorius must have known that someone would die if he fired through the closed door into a small toilet cubicle. In the words of Judge Leach, "Although he may have been anxious, it is inconceivable that a rational person could have believed he was entitled to fire at this person with a heavy-caliber firearm, without taking even that most elementary precaution of firing a warning shot, which the accused said he elected not to fire as he thought the ricochet might harm him."

According to the judgment, the person whom Pistorius thought was in the cubicle had nothing to do with the results of his actions. The culpable homicide verdict was replaced with a murder conviction, and the case was referred back to the trial court for a sentencing hearing when it reconvened on 18 April 2016.

On 8 December 2015, it was announced that Pistorius would continue to remain free on bail but under house arrest pending his appeal to the Constitutional Court. On 3 March 2016, it was announced that Pistorius had been denied his right to appeal and would next be due in court on 13 June 2016 to begin a five-day sentencing hearing for the murder conviction, concluding on 17 June 2016.

On 15 June 2016, the sentencing was adjourned by Judge Thokozile Masipa until 6 July 2016.

Second prison term

On 6 July 2016, Judge Thokozile Masipa sentenced Pistorius to six years' imprisonment for murder, rather than her original sentencing of five years' imprisonment for culpable homicide; once again, he was incarcerated in the hospital wing at the Kgosi Mampuru II jail. It was anticipated that Pistorius would be eligible for release on parole after serving three years of his sentence in 2019.

On 7 August 2016, Pistorius was treated at Kalafong Hospital in Pretoria after sustaining minor injuries to his wrists after slipping in his cell. Media reports of Pistorius injuring himself intentionally were said to be "completely untrue" by his brother Carl, who added that he was "doing well given the circumstances".

On 21 July 2016, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) confirmed that it would appeal against Judge Thokozile Masipa's "shockingly lenient" 6-year jail sentence. The appeal hearing took place on 26 August 2016, and the bid to appeal the sentence was rejected by Masipa, who said that the NPA had "no reasonable prospect of success" of securing a longer prison sentence for Pistorius. The NPA was then given 21 days to take its appeal bid to the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA). On 15 September 2016, it was confirmed that the NPA would make a fresh bid to extend Pistorius's jail sentence and would file papers to the SCA on 16 September. After this announcement, sources associated with Pistorius's family and the defense team accused Gerrie Nel and the NPA of pursuing a "personal vendetta" against Pistorius.

Pistorius was briefly released from prison for four hours on 14 October 2016 through a compassionate leave license to attend the funeral service of his grandmother, who died on 8 October 2016.

In November 2016, Pistorius was transferred from the Kgosi Mampuru jail to Atteridgeville Correctional Centre, which is smaller and better adapted for disabled prisoners because it has better facilities for inmates, including bathtubs in cells. It also holds prisoners who are serving six-year sentences or less.

In March 2023, it was announced that a parole board would consider an early release for Pistorius on 31 March, despite his serving just half of his sentence. Pistorius' release was opposed by Barry and June Steenkamp, Reeva Steenkamp's parents. Ahead of the hearing, June Steenkamp said Pistorius was "not remorseful or rehabilitated". According to his parole lawyer, Pistorius had been a model prisoner, a factor taken into account for parole. If he had been granted parole, the parole board would have had several options ranging from full parole to day parole or correctional supervision. Pistorius was denied parole, with a lawyer for the Steenkamp family stating that "we were … advised at this point that it has been denied and it will be considered again in one year".

Sentence appeals and parole proceedings

The SCA heard the state's arguments appealing to extend Pistorius's sentence on 3 November 2017, with its final ruling being confirmed on 24 November 2017.

On 24 November 2017, the SCA increased Pistorius's jail sentence to 13 years and five months. Prosecutors had argued that the six-year term was too short. The SCA ruled his sentence be increased to 15 years, less time already served.

On 19 December 2017, it was confirmed that Pistorius had filed papers with the Constitutional Court to appeal the newly increased sentence and have his previous six-year sentence reinstated. On 9 April 2018, the appeal was dismissed by the courts; Pistorius was not to be eligible for parole until at least 2023. After an additional hearing, parole was again denied on 31 March 2023.

 

On 24 November 2023, it was announced that Pistorius was to be released on parole. Reeva Steenkamp's mother, June Steenkamp, did not oppose his parole because she "simply cannot muster the energy to face him again at this stage".

Pistorius was released on parole on 5 January 2024 with conditions in place until his sentence expires on 5 December 2029.

Steenkamp Foundation

Reeva Steenkamp's mother told the hosts of the British television program This Morning that she had forgiven Pistorius during his trial. She founded the Reeva Steenkamp Foundation to help prevent "similar cases" in the future.

In popular culture

An unofficial biopic based on public records titled Oscar Pistorius: Blade Runner Killer was aired on 18 November 2017 on South African TV. The movie was made without the consent of either the Pistorius or Steenkamp families. The Pistorius family threatened legal action against Lifetime Movies, the American television network that produced the movie. However, the lawsuit never went to trial.

In 2018, Amazon Prime released a four-part documentary series on its video service titled Pistorius. A four-part documentary titled The Life and Trials of Oscar Pistorius aired on ESPN+ in 2020.

Pistorius has been referenced several times in the American adult animated sitcom Family Guy. In the season 13 episode "#Jolo," Joe Swanson claims to have "the gun that no-legged sprinter used to kill his girlfriend." Pistorius is also mentioned twice in the show's sixteenth season. In the episode "Follow the Money," Joe excitedly calls out "Pistorius" while playing quarters. Then, in the episode "HTTPete," Peter Griffin refers to a situation as being "worse than when [he] was roommates with Oscar Pistorius." The ensuing cutaway gag parodies Pistorius shooting Steenkamp in the bathroom.

Pistorius was also alluded to as "Tinktink" in a 2009 comedy special by American Comedian Katt Williams, in which he commends him for not giving up and winning a "Footrace against competitors while not even having any feet."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Pistorius