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Domestic violence has been front and center in the U.S. because of the released footage of NFL player Ray Rice’s assault on his wife Janay Palmer Rice. Internationally, all eyes are on the trial of storied Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius, who was charged with the murder of his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp. Viasen Soobramoney of the Guardian writes:
“The Paralympian faces a premeditated murder charge after he fired four shots through a toilet door at his Pretoria home on Valentine’s Day 2013, which killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. Pistorius claims he had mistaken her for an intruder. He also faces two charges relating to firing a gun in a public space, and a separate charge for illegally possessing ammunition.”
If Pistorius is found not guilty on all charges, then he will go free, his bail will be returned to him and he can then file a civil case against the minister of police and justice if he believes the case was mishandled.
If he is found guilty on all charges, Soobramoney writes:
“Premeditated murder in South Africa carries a minimum sentence of life imprisonment, which constitutes 25 years. Coupled with anything from two to five years in prison or a fine for the firearm and ammunition charges could see the athlete spend three decades in prison. South African law does afford him a parole hearing after 25 years and, if released, will still be on parole for the rest of his life.”
Read more at The Guardian.
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[…] Rice story has been so pervasive in the media that folks have all but forgotten that storied South African Paralympian Oscar Pistorius was back in trial today to hear the verdict in the killing of his girlfriend, model Reeva […]
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