South Africa Prosecutors Win Bid to Appeal Pistorius Conviction

South African prosecutors on Wednesday won a bid to
appeal the culpable homicide verdict handed down to
Olympic and Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius for killing
his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.
They said they would now seek a murder conviction against
the Paralympic athlete.
Pistorius, whose lower legs were amputated as a baby, shot
dead Steenkamp on Febriary 14th, 2013 by firing four 9mm
rounds into the locked door of a toilet cubicle.
He, however, said that he killed Steenkamp out of the
mistaken belief that she was an intruder.
During the seven-month trial, the state prosecutor failed to
convince Judge Thokozile Masipa , 67, of Pistorius’ intent to
kill when he fired the gun at her.
The failure led to Pistorius’ conviction for negligent killing –
culpable homicide – and a five-year jail term in October.
State prosecutor Gerrie Nel said in his application to appeal
on Tuesday that the judgement was “shockingly
inappropriate”.
Nel requested permission to seek a murder conviction,
which would carry a minimum of 15-year jail term.
The prosecutor argued that even if Pistorius did not know
Steenkamp was behind the door when he fired, the athlete
showed intent to kill whoever was in the small toilet cubicle.
“I cannot say the prospect of success at the Supreme Court
is remote,’’ Judge Masipa said in granting the appeal.
Masipa dismissed the state’s application to appeal the five-
year prison sentence.
This meant that Pistorius’ jail term would not be extended
unless the state convinced the Supreme Court of Appeal to
overturn the original culpable homicide verdict.
Her decision to rule out murder was criticised by several
legal experts and the Women’s League of the ruling African
National Congress (ANC) as an erroneous interpretation of
the law.