Agence France Presse
Johannesburg, Nov 2: Oscar Pistorius has hunkered down under house arrest, but South African state prosecutors will Tuesday appeal in court for a murder conviction that could send him back to jail for years.
The disgraced Paralympic sprinter was found guilty last year of culpable homicide – a charge equivalent to manslaughter – after shooting dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
At the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein, state prosecutors will try to convince judges that Pistorius should be found guilty of murder and sentenced to a minimum of 15 years in prison. At his trial, the 28-year-old was sentenced to five years, and he was released two weeks ago after just a year behind bars to spend the remainder of his term at his uncle’s mansion in Pretoria.
The state lawyers have described the sentence as ‘shockingly light, inappropriate’ and said ‘not enough emphasis was placed on the horrendous manner’ in which Steenkamp died.
A panel of five judges will hear the arguments from the state and defence, with the proceedings scheduled to last one day. The judges are expected to announce a future date to deliver their ruling.
Pistorius, who has not been seen in public since his release October 19, will not attend the hearing, family spokeswoman Anneliese Burgess said Monday. However, Steenkamp’s mother June may go, though her father Barry is not expected, said their lawyer Tania Koen.
