Oscar Pistorius will go to prison for the death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, but the length of his sentence has raised eyebrows worldwide.
The South African Olympic and Paralympic sprinter was convicted on Sept. 12 of culpable homicide, equivalent to a manslaughter conviction in the United States. While he avoided a murder charge that would have sent him to prison for life, Pistorius was sentenced Tuesday to five years in a South African prison. Under South African law, Pistorius could have been sentenced to house arrest and community service instead of prison.
However, Pistorius is unlikely to serve his full sentence, and will likely be released after a little over ten months behind bars. While Steenkamp’s family has publicly stated satisfaction with the verdict, many who followed the trial feel that Pistorius’ fame and status in South Africa resulted in a favorable decision. The double-amputee, who is also known by his nickname “The Blade Runner,” attained worldwide acclaim after competing in the 2012 London Olympic Games against able-bodied athletes, with the help of carbon, prosthetic, running “blades.”
No matter how quickly Pistorius is released, he has been barred from international track and field competition for the duration of his scheduled term. This rules him out of the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics and could effectively end his track career.
