In a case that has
transfixed many in the sporting world and beyond, Oscar Pistorius, the
double amputee who became an international track star, was indicted
Monday in a South African court on a charge of premeditated murder in
the shooting death of his girlfriend.
Mr. Pistorius, who has been out on bail since February, will remain free until his trial, which was set for March 3.
At the hearing Monday, the state prosecution released a copy of its lengthy indictment of Mr. Pistorius, outlining its case that he intentionally shot his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, while she was behind a locked bathroom door on the morning of Feb. 14.
Prosecutors listed more than 100 witnesses to be called during the trial.
Mr. Pistorius has admitted opening fire in his upscale home in the South African capital, Pretoria, but he says he believed that he was shooting an intruder. The prosecution contends that Mr. Pistorius planned to kill whoever was behind the door, and that even if he mistakenly killed Ms. Steenkamp, he is still guilty of murder.
There is no death penalty in South Africa, where the mandatory sentence for premeditated murder is life, with a minimum of 25 years in prison.
As he waited for the brief court hearing to begin on Monday, Mr. Pistorius prayed with his family and wept openly. Close friends of Ms. Steenkamp’s sat on court benches a few feet away. Ms. Steenkamp, a model and a reality television star, would have turned 30 on Monday.
Defense lawyers have depicted the shooting as a tragic accident in which Mr. Pistorius, 26, believed that an intruder had entered his home, where Ms. Steenkamp, a law school graduate, was spending the night. According to defense testimony, Mr. Pistorius opened fire through a locked bathroom door, not realizing that Ms. Steenkamp was on the other side. She was hit by at least three bullets.
Before the shooting, Mr. Pistorius and Ms. Steenkamp were depicted as a gilded couple, featured in celebrity news coverage.
News reports in South Africa over the weekend said Mr. Pistorius might also face new charges of recklessly firing a weapon in public, related to accusations that he discharged a weapon in a restaurant in January and fired a gun from a car while driving home from vacation. Those reports have not been confirmed by the defense or the prosecution.
Mr. Pistorius, nicknamed Blade Runner for the prosthetics he uses to compete, has a reputation for outsize triumphs, not only against other disabled athletes but also against able-bodied competitors.
He won two gold medals and a silver at the Paralympic Games in London last September. In the Olympics the month before, he reached a 400-meter semifinal and competed in the 4x400-meter relay.
Mr. Pistorius, who has been out on bail since February, will remain free until his trial, which was set for March 3.
At the hearing Monday, the state prosecution released a copy of its lengthy indictment of Mr. Pistorius, outlining its case that he intentionally shot his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, while she was behind a locked bathroom door on the morning of Feb. 14.
Prosecutors listed more than 100 witnesses to be called during the trial.
Mr. Pistorius has admitted opening fire in his upscale home in the South African capital, Pretoria, but he says he believed that he was shooting an intruder. The prosecution contends that Mr. Pistorius planned to kill whoever was behind the door, and that even if he mistakenly killed Ms. Steenkamp, he is still guilty of murder.
There is no death penalty in South Africa, where the mandatory sentence for premeditated murder is life, with a minimum of 25 years in prison.
As he waited for the brief court hearing to begin on Monday, Mr. Pistorius prayed with his family and wept openly. Close friends of Ms. Steenkamp’s sat on court benches a few feet away. Ms. Steenkamp, a model and a reality television star, would have turned 30 on Monday.
Defense lawyers have depicted the shooting as a tragic accident in which Mr. Pistorius, 26, believed that an intruder had entered his home, where Ms. Steenkamp, a law school graduate, was spending the night. According to defense testimony, Mr. Pistorius opened fire through a locked bathroom door, not realizing that Ms. Steenkamp was on the other side. She was hit by at least three bullets.
Before the shooting, Mr. Pistorius and Ms. Steenkamp were depicted as a gilded couple, featured in celebrity news coverage.
News reports in South Africa over the weekend said Mr. Pistorius might also face new charges of recklessly firing a weapon in public, related to accusations that he discharged a weapon in a restaurant in January and fired a gun from a car while driving home from vacation. Those reports have not been confirmed by the defense or the prosecution.
Mr. Pistorius, nicknamed Blade Runner for the prosthetics he uses to compete, has a reputation for outsize triumphs, not only against other disabled athletes but also against able-bodied competitors.
He won two gold medals and a silver at the Paralympic Games in London last September. In the Olympics the month before, he reached a 400-meter semifinal and competed in the 4x400-meter relay.
Summary:
Oscar
Pistorius has been indicted on a charge of premeditated murder of his
girlfriend, Reesva Steenkamp, who was shot on the 14 February while
she was behind a door in his house. According to Pistoruis he shot because he thought that she was an intruder. If he is
guilty, he will be in prison for a minimum of 25 years. Pistorius
has been very sad these days and he's been crying openly.
Family and friends of Ms.
Steenkamp’s, who was a TV star, have been away from the athlete after the incident.
Defense lawyers said that
it was an accident, in which Pistorius shot through the door because he
thought that behind it there was a thief. Some
news reports
said Mr. Pistorius might
also face new charges because
of having fired a weapon in public,
but these haven't
been confirmed by the defense or the prosecution. Mr. Pistorius has a
reputation for outsize triumphs because he has won some competitions
against able-bodied
competitors even though he had his legs amputed.
Vocabulary:
En libertad bajo fianza = out on bail
Stay, keep...= remain
Accustaion = indictement
Luxury = upscale
In the wrong way = mistakenly
Cry = weepRepresent = depict
Burglar = intruder
Dangerously = recklessly
Arm = weapon
Ismael Derhali and Alfonso Hernández 2C
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