Convicted murderer Oscar Pistorius has been sentenced to 6\u00a0years in prison for the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp in 2013.<\/p>\n
The minimum prison sentence for murder in South Africa is 15 years.<\/p>\n
The ruling came from\u00a0Judge Thokozile Masipa, after three days hearing arguments from both the state and Pistorius’ defence on the matter in June.<\/p>\n
Both the prosecution and defence stood firm in their arguments, with state prosecutor Gerrie Nel calling for a full murder sentence. On defence, Barry Roux argued that Pistorius’ vulnerability as a double amputee could not be ignored, and asked for a reduced sentence based on mitigating circumstances.<\/p>\n
Judge Masipa said that the court could not ignore the mitigating circumstances, and cited previous case law showing the reasoning behind a reduced sentence. She added that, while the case had drawn massive public interest, it was not the court’s duty to satisfy the public.<\/p>\n
The court had a duty to sentence based on the facts and the evidence, not public opinion, she said. Pistorius had already served 12 months, was a first-time offender, and was not likely to re-offend, she said.<\/p>\n