Prosecutors to appeal Oscar Pistorius’s six-year jail sentence
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South African prosecutors plan to appeal Oscar Pistorius’s six-year jail sentence for the murder of his girlfriend, calling it “shockingly too lenient,” according to the Associated Press.
Pistorius was handed the six-year sentence earlier this month for shooting and killing Reeva Steenkamp in 2013. The minimum sentence for murder in South Africa is 15 years in prison, but Judge Thokozile Masipa said he reduced the jail time because there was compelling evidence Pistorius was unlikely to commit another crime, he was a good candidate for rehabilitation and showed genuine remorse over Steenkamp’s death.
Pistorius has claimed he mistook Steenkamp for a home invader before shooting her multiple times through a bathroom door in his home.
“We respectfully submit that the sentence of six years imprisonment, in all the circumstances, is disproportionate to the crime of murder committed,” the National Prosecuting Authority said in a statement on Thursday. “That is to say, shockingly too lenient, and has accordingly resulted in an injustice and has the potential to bring the administration of justice into disrepute.”
The prosecutors office said it would file the appeal by Thursday’s deadline.
Pistorius was the first double amputee to compete in the Olympics, making the semifinal round of the men's 400 meters at London 2012.
