  NEWS
UPDATE 2014: PISTORIUS CHARGED WITH MURDER, FOUND GUILTY IN SHOOTING DEATH
OF GIRLFRIEND
Oscar
Pistorius was born in 1986 in Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa, with congenital
absence of the fibula in both legs. When he was months old, his legs were amputated
halfway between his knees and ankles. He attended Constantia Kloof Primary and Pretoria
Boys High School where he played rugby union in
the school's third XV team, water polo and tennis. He also played water polo and
tennis at provincial level. In addition, Pistorius took part in club Olympic wrestling.
After a serious rugby knee injury in June 2003, he was introduced to running in
January 2004 while undergoing rehabilitation, and "never looked back".
Known as the "Blade Runner" and "the fastest man on no legs",
Pistorius is the world record holder in the 00, 200 and 400 meters (sport class
T44) events and runs with the aid of Cheetah Flex-Foot carbon fiber transtibial
artificial limbs by Ossur. In 2007 Pistorius took part in his first international
competitions for able-bodied athletes. However, his artificial lower legs, while
enabling him to compete, have generated claims that he has an unfair advantage over
able-bodied runners. The same year, the International Association of Athletics Federations
(IAAF) amended its competition rules to ban the use of "any technical device
that incorporates springs, wheels or any other element that provides a user with
an advantage over another athlete not using such a device". It claimed that
the amendment was not specifically aimed at Pistorius. After monitoring his track
performances and carrying out tests, scientists took the view that Pistorius enjoyed
considerable advantages over athletes without prosthetic limbs. On the strength
of these findings, on 4 January 2008 the IAAF ruled him ineligible for competitions
conducted under its rules, including the 2008 Summer Olympics. This decision was
reversed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on 6 May 2008, the Court ruling
overall there was no evidence that Pistorius had any net advantage over able-bodied
athletes.
In 2006, Pistorius was conferred the Order of Ikhamanga in Bronze
(OIB) by the President of South Africa 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. In May 2008, Pistorius made the "2008 TIME 00" 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' 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."
While
wearing his prosthetics his height is 6'1"-6'2".
In the early
morning of Thursday, 14 February 2013, Pistorius shot and killed South
African model Reeva Steenkamp, his girlfriend of three months, at his
home in Pretoria. Pistorius acknowledges that he shot Steenkamp, causing
her death, but says that he mistook her for a possible intruder.
Pistorius' trial for murder began on 3 March 2014 in Pretoria. On 20 May
2014, the trial proceedings were adjourned until 30 June to enable
Pistorius to undergo psychiatric evaluation to establish whether he was
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 which 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 criminally not responsible for the
offence charged". The defence 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.
Pistorius was found not guilty of two firearm-related charges relating
to illegal possession of ammunition and firing a firearm through the
sunroof of a car.
He was sentenced to five years in jail but will
probably only spend 11 months in prison and then go on house arrest.
He got off lucky. Why? Probably because he is rich, White and famous.
Just like OJ Simpson. Uh, except for the "white" part. |
