After several months of trial and an intense mental evaluation, Oscar Pistorius was finally convicted of culpable murder last September for the shooting death of his then-girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. The Olympic blade runner still insists that he believed an intruder was on the other side of that bathroom door when he opened fire, accidentally killing Steenkamp on Valentine's Day 2013. The penalty phase of his sentencing has wrapped up this week with Pistorius' punishment finally being announced next Tuesday. The prosecution is rallying hard for the athlete to be incarcerated.
State prosecutor Gerrie Nel believes that Pistorius needs to serve significant time just like he would if he weren't formerly thought of as a sports hero. "The minimum that society will be happy with is 10 years imprisonment. My argument is that the matter is so serious, the interest in society demands a prison term," argued Nel.
Judge Thokozile Masipa is known to be particularly tough on criminals and many expected her to make an example out of Pistorius. When she found him guilty of culpable murder it was met with confusion as well as a level of outrage from some who believed the prosecution's stance that Pistorius had a history of being a tempermental and likely reacted during a fight with Steenkamp before thinking his actions through. Since he has admitted to shooting her then the prosecution is hopeful that Masipa will issue a sentence that at least feels like significant punishment to the track star.
Do you think that Pistorius will be sentenced to the ten year term that Nel is asking for or will Masipa instead give him less time or even house arrest? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
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