After several months of publicly tried proceedings and media frenzy, the Paralympian Oscar Pistorius has finally been given a sentence. The athlete was sentenced to five years in prison last Tuesday, October 21.
Last February 2013, the 27-year-old Pistorius shot his girlfriend, 29-year-old model Reeva Steenkamp in his home in South Africa. Pistorius was found guilty of culpable homicide in his trail this year. Pistorius also received a concurrent three year suspended prison sentence for a separate reckless endangerment conviction.
Pistorius maintained throughout the trial that the killing was an accident. He explained that at that time, he thought the person in his bathroom was an intruder and therefore shot the person. It turned out that the alleged intruder was in fact his girlfriend, Steenkamp.
The double amputee athlete rose to prominence as a Paralympic champion and double-amputee competitor in the 2012 Summer Olympics. According to reports, Pistorius may not serve his full five years since his team found that the law affords him the potential option of serving 10 months in prison and then transitioning to house arrest afterwards.
On the other hand, Pistorius is not planning to appeal the jail term with his family. In a statement released to media, his uncle said that their family is ready to "move forward," and continued, "Oscar will embrace this opportunity to pay back to society."
The Judge who earlier acquitted Pistorius of premeditated murder charges had also reminded the court the importance of finding a sentence that did not "send the wrong message to the community," but also one that showed "mercy."
Pistorius is a South African sprint runner who had both legs amputated when he was still 11 months old. Regardless of his disability, he competed in events for single below-knee amputees and for able-bodied athletes, winning several medals and awards.
