Oscar Pistorius Gets 5 Years

Top News Today

Reeva Steenkamp and Oscar Pistorius

The handsome and athletically gifted 27-year-old double-amputee from South Africa, who has been affectionately known as “The Blade Runner” remained stoic, as Judge Thokozile Masipa gave her decision on the homicide conviction.  Pistorius’ only reaction was to wipe his eyes as 2 police officers led him to the holding cells beneath the High Court in the heart of the South African capital. Just 90 minutes later, Pistorius, who was still dressed in a tailored dark suit, white shirt and black tie, was escorted in an armored police vehicle to the Pretoria Central Prison, where he will serve his time.

Once the execution site for opponents of South Africa’s former Apartheid government, the jail now houses the country’s most hardened criminals, including apartheid death squad leader Eugene “Prime Evil” de Kock.

According to prison officials, Pistorius, whose lower legs were amputated when he was a baby, will be housed in a separate and secure hospital wing of the massive prison complex for his safety. However, that is where his favored treatment will end.

Top News Today
In delivering her decision, Judge Masipa emphasized how difficult it was to arrive at a decision that was “fair and just to society and to the accused.”  She also dismissed any suggestion that Pistorius’ wealth and influence as a white man would secure him preferential justice, particularly in light of the “equality before law” guarantee in the post-apartheid 1996 constitution.

“It would be a sad day for this country if an impression were created that there is one law for the poor and disadvantaged, and one law for the rich and famous,” she said.