South Africa’s Supreme Court has increased Oscar Pistorius’ murder sentence to 13 years and five months after the state argued that his original sentence of six years was «shockingly lenient».
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – South Africa’s Supreme Court has increased Oscar Pistorius’ murder sentence to 13 years and five months after the state argued that his original sentence of six years was “shockingly lenient”.
Pistorius was imprisoned in July last year after being found guilty on appeal of murdering girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day 2013 in a case that attracted worldwide interest.
The athlete was not in court for Friday’s ruling where the court handed down the minimum 15-year sentence prescribed for murder in South Africa and subtracted the years Pistorius had already served. Steenkamp’s family welcomed the decision and said it showed that justice could prevail in South Africa.
The athlete was originally convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to five years in jail. That conviction was increased to murder by the Supreme Court in December 2015 and his sentence was increased to six years by trial judge Thokozile Masipa.
