Oscar Pistorius prosecutors file appeal against acquittal

Prosecutors filed an appeal yesterday calling for Oscar Pistorius, who is days away from being released from prison, to be convicted of the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.

The paralympian was jailed last year for five years after being convicted on the lesser charge of culpable homicide, the South African equivalent of manslaughter. He is set to be paroled on Friday after serving 10 months behind bars but will remain under a form of house arrest.

He is expected to stay at his uncle’s mansion in a wealthy suburb of Pretoria. He is likely to be allowed to leave the house to work, carry out community service or to attend important family events, and officials say he will not have to wear an electronic monitoring device.

The state has filed its heads of argument with the supreme court of appeal. Pistorius’s defence team has until September 17th to submit its response, with the appeal hearing expected in November. If the judges rule against Pistorius, he could face returning to prison for at least 15 years.

The double amputee, who became a sporting celebrity after competing in the Paralympics and Olympics, told his trial that he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder when he fired four shots through a locked toilet door on Valentine’s Day in 2013.

The state argues that the killing was deliberate. – (Guardian service)