Oscar Pistorius Verdict

[cacian]

guilty of culpable homicide

I quote
''Judge Thokozile Masipa has found Oscar Pistorius guilty of culpable homicide after fatally shooting his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp through a bathroom door on Valentines day last year.''

more here:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/oscar-pistorius/10668819/Watch-live-Oscar-Pistorius-murder-trial-verdict.html

three questions comes to mind:


a) did Oscar get away with it because of who he is?
b) Is the South African judicial system flawed?
and most importantly
c) should a judge who has done prison themselves be sentencing others to go to prison?

any opinions most welcome.

[PeterL]

guilty of culpable homicide
three questions come to mind:

a) did Oscar get away with it because of who he is?

I don't know. I followed the trial, and I was surprised at how little the prosecutor presented. I got the impression that the police in South Africa aren't very good, and police, prosecutors, and the general don't think much of careful police procedure.


b) Is the South African judicial system flawed?

I don't think the judicial system is as bad as the police. I got the impression that the judicial system was made up from parts of several different systems.


and most importantly
c) should a judge who has done prison themselves be sentencing others to go to prison?

I don't think thaat question is relevant. I got the impression that the trial was conducted rather well.


any opinions most welcome.

If it were up to me, then Pistorius would receive the death penalty. Men should be careful not to kill women.

[cacian]

I don't know. I followed the trial, and I was surprised at how little the prosecutor presented. I got the impression that the police in South Africa aren't very good, and police, prosecutors, and the general don't think much of careful police procedure.
the police are bad full stop.



I don't think the judicial system is as bad as the police. I got the impression that the judicial system was made up from parts of several different systems.
if it is made up then it cant be good. it is not new and it is not original.


I don't think that question is relevant. I got the impression that the trial was conducted rather well.


why not? someone who presides should be clear of prison offences otherwise sending one to prison when one has been shows lack of understanding. no one wants to send someone else to prison when they have been themselves. it shows lack of
appreciation understanding and most of all reconciliation. compassion is most impressive in other words. a judge must be compassionate when deliberating a sentence.
a judge is not an enemy.


If it were up to me, then Pistorius would receive the death penalty. Men should be careful not to kill women.
I am not a fan of death penalties.
I don't agree with it.
It is obvious Oscar is tormented enough because he has to live with what he has done for the rest of his life.
that is punishment enough.
I agree that men should not kill women and vice versa.
none should not kill full stop.

[PeterL]

if it is made up then it cant be good. it is not new and it is not original.

I don't know everything about the judicial system,, so I'm not sure. I can understand why they don't use juries, maybe. If I knew everything about how the system worked I might make a stronger comment.



why not? someone who presides should be clear of prison offences otherwise sending one to prison when one has been shows lack of understanding. no one wants to send someone else to prison when they have been themselves. it shows lack of
appreciation understanding and most of all reconciliation. compassion is most impressive in other words. a judge must be compassionate when deliberating a sentence.
a judge is not an enemy.

Why do you think that a judge should not have been in prison? Many people were jailed in South Africa without any good reason. From what I saw of the trial I think that she was quite fair.

[/QUOTE]I am not a fan of death penalties.
I don't agree with it.
It is obvious Oscar is tormented enough because he has to live with what he has done for the rest of his life.
that is punishment enough.
I agree that men should not kill women and vice versa.
none should not kill full stop.[/QUOTE]

The purpose of the death penalty is to ensure that someone will not be a problem to society ever again. It is a permanent way to get someone out of the way. From what I found out about Pistorius during the trial I came to the conclusion that he has trouble controlling his emotions, and I can easily imagine him losing it again.

[qimissung]

I'm glad he was found guilty of something. From what I've read it does not seem that they had a strong case that it was premeditated. But I think he was guilty of acting rashly and carelessly.

The judicial system there does not seem any worse than that of any other democratic nation that I know of. They're doing a little better than Italy at the moment, imho. No judicial system is perfect. Justice is a human construct. I feel sorry for Reeva Steenkamp's family, but closure and justice are illusory when you've lost a loved one to a violent death.

[Iain Sparrow]

This seemed like such an obvious case of premeditated murder... since I live in Florida, I can't speak ill of South African justice. We've had two very high profile murder cases in the last two years, and both murderers got away with it.
It makes one question our jury system.

[Calidore]

British satirist Tom Sharpe lived in South Africa during apartheid and had very strong opinions about the government and police. Unfortunately, he expressed those opinions, which resulted in him spending time in prison and then being deported. He did get a couple of good novels out of the experience, though: Riotous Assembly and Indecent Exposure.

[Hawkman]

I guess the interrogation team should have been Commandant Van Heerden, Lt. Verkramp and constable Else! I'm sure they could have produced a convincing confession. It's amazing how effective electrocuted testicles can be in persuading people to say, well, anything really. But then, of course, you'd have had Amnesty International bleating about violated rights... It's not easy being a policeman, as Gilbert and Sullivan observed ;)

[Darcy88]

I believe Pistorious got off with too light a sentence. His entire defense I found unconvincing. Firing throuigh an unopened door without first being fired upon, and while knowing that his girlfriend was in the residence, is murder pure and simple, in my opinion.

[PeterL]

I believe Pistorious got off with too light a sentence. His entire defense I found unconvincing. Firing throuigh an unopened door without first being fired upon, and while knowing that his girlfriend was in the residence, is murder pure and simple, in my opinion.

I agree, and a court has decided that the prosecutor can appeal the verdict, which I expect will happen. There is only one punishment for men who murder women as beautiful as she was.

[Hawkman]

There is only one punishment for men who murder women as beautiful as she was.

I guess if she'd been a bit uglier then he'd deserve a lesser punishment!

[PeterL]

I guess if she'd been a bit uglier then he'd deserve a lesser punishment!

Yes, and remember that in case you are every on the jury of such a case.