November 21, 2024 • 36 mins
Oscar Pistorius, the Blade Runner, captivated the world with his journey from a double amputee to an Olympic athlete. However, his life took a dramatic turn when he was charged with the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. Join Jay Harris as he explores the intense investigation, gripping trial, and troublesome aftermath of a scandal that rocked the globe.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:08):
Welcome back to playing Dirty Sports Scandals. I'm Jay Harris,
your host. You're brave Barista and the bearer of this
heartbreaking Valentine's Day saga. Together we'll dig deeper into how
the beautiful, brilliant Reva Steinkamp died on February fourteenth, twenty thirteen.
Was her killing a terrible, unwitting accident motivated by Oscar Pistorius'
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sheer paranoia over a home intruder. Or was Reva murdered
in cold blood by her famous blade runner boyfriend who
had an awful temper mixed with a passion for firearms. Certainly,
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investigators and prosecutors didn't buy Oscar's claims of an intruder
in his mansion on the silver Woods Estate in Pretoria,
even though first responders did paint a picture of him
as a deeply distraught lover. The manager of silver Woods
Estate and his daughter were the first two people on
the scene after the shooting. The manager testified that Oscar
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had been crying, screaming, and praying while carrying Reva's bloodied
body down the stairs when they arrived, and doctor Johann Stipp,
a neighbor who rushed over to help when he heard
the commotion. Also described the scene as chaotic and devastating,
with Oscar pleading for Reva to stay alive. Doctor Stipp
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would later testify that Oscar looked sincere to me. He
was crying, there were tears on his face. He was saying,
please let her live. He was saying he would dedicate
his life to God if she will only live. But
while the estate manager and doctor Johann Stipp seemed to
buy Oscar's version of events, Detective Hilton Botha, a twenty
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four year veteran of the South African Police Service, shared
with Vanity Air that he never doubted revastein Camp's death
was a calculated murder. There's no way anything else could
have happened. Detected both And said, it was just Oscar
and Riva in the house, and according to the security registers,
she had been staying there for two to three days,
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so he had to be used to her by that time.
There was no forced entry. The only place there could
have been entrants was the open bathroom window, and we
did everything we could to see if anyone went through it,
and it was impossible, so I thought it was an
open and closed case. Oscar Pistoria shot revasteain Camp. That's it.
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I was convinced that it was murder, and I told
my colonel, you already read him his rights, so you
have to arrest him. And that's what went down. Oscar
Pistorius was taken into custody and charged with murder within
hours of Riva's death. As police and prosecutors got to work,
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investigators and attorneys were scrambling on the heels of Oscar's arrest,
and they weren't the only ones. The following days devolved
into a media frenzy, with the world watching as details
of the case unfolded. The once celebrated athlete now found
himself with a problem he couldn't outrun. Oscar Pistorius was
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a spectator, seeing his life unravel in the public eye
as he faced the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence. Meanwhile,
Revasteencamp's devastated parents, June and Barry, had to navigate their
personal tragedy in the public eye as well. Sky News
reported that June and Barry Steamcamp faced the gathering of
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camera crews who filmed their every movement with stoicism and fortitude,
but no one was left in any doubt that they
hated every minute of being in the spotlight. June herself
admitted as much, saying the media interest meant the loss
of our privacy and made it difficult to mourn our
daughter Riva in peace. We who remain behind are the
(04:05):
ones serving a life sentence. On February nineteenth, twenty thirteen,
the stunned, heartbroken Steamcamp family watched, alongside millions of others,
as Oscar's four day bail hearing began. It is extremely
unusual for bail hearing to last more than a day,
but Oscar was a public figure and both sides had
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come prepared to duke it out. Each blow packed a
punch and took time to deliver. Prosecutor Harry Nell argued
vehemently against allowing any bail for Oscar Pistorius, insisting that
Oscar posed a flight risk and emphasizing that he should
be charged and held without bail for premeditated murder. But
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Oscar's lawyer, defense attorney Barry Rue, countered powerfully. He emphasized
his client's disability, the logistical difficulties Oscar would face if incarcerated,
his status as a national hero, and insisted that Revastinekamp's
tragic death was a terrible accident, not premeditated murder. Attorney
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Rue further argued that Oscar deserved to be released on
bail while awaiting trial because the investigation into Reva's death
had been mishandled by the prosecution. In a shocking turn
of events, the defense declared that lead detective Hilton Botha's
credibility was nil since he himself was facing seven charges
of attempted murder what allegedly in October twenty eleven, detected
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both the and two other officers opened fire on seven
passengers in a taxi minibus to stop the vehicle. Sky
News reported that it was claimed the officers who were
on duty at the time were drunk. Wow, it certainly
didn't help matters that detected. Both A further admitted under
defense questioning that the police quote had lost track of
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ammunition found inside Oscar Pistorius's house and it failed to
wear protective clothing at the crime scene. With the shockers
disclosed by and about lead investigator detected both the under
defense attorney Barry Rous, questioning the prosecution, led by Harry Nell,
had little chance of successfully winning its no bail bid
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for Oscar Pistorius. Chief Magistrate Desmond Nail, who would notably
be suspended and facing corruption charges himself just three and
a half years later for allegedly receiving kickbacks, ruled in
favor of the defense and set the bail amount at
one million Rand, which was equivalent to approximately one hundred
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thirteen thousand dollars. For an athlete of Oscar's stature, this
amount was a drop in the bucket. Additional conditions of
Oscar's bail included surrendering his passports, refraining from alcohol consumption,
and reporting to a police station twice a week. Oscar
Pistorius was released from police custody on February twenty second,
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twenty thirteen, just nine days after Reva Steinekamp's death, to
await his trial as a freeman. Now, while Oscar's relationship
with his father had been strained ever since Hank Pastorius
walked out on the family, Oscar did have the benefit
of an enduring close relationship with his paternal uncle, Arnold Pistorius,
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and Arnold's wife, Lois Pastorius. Arnold and Lois had taken
Oscar and his siblings in after their biological mother, Sheila's
death and raised him from age fifteen onwards. Uncle Arnold
and Aunt Lois were Oscar's rocks, and he needed them
now more than ever. As soon as he was released
on bail, Oscar went to live with them in their
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magnificent home in the upscale suburb of Watercloof in Pretoria.
Their estate was the perfect place to hunker down and
prepare for trial. The three story mansion provided relative privacy
from the relentless press frenzy. While media outlets from around
the world camped outside of Arnold and Lois Pastorius' home,
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the most they could hope for was a glimpse of
the blade runner behind a massive gate in leafy trees.
Oscar Pistorius' family and legal team focused on preparing for
the upcoming trial. His defense attorneys, Barry Rue and Kenny
old Wage were notoriously dogged, with a history of taking
on and winning high profile cases. Notably, attorney old Wage
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had successfully defended Oscar Pistorius's brother Karl against the culpable
homicide charge related to the death of a woman motorcyclist
named Mariiki Barnard in a traffic accident in two thousand
and eight. The combination of attorneys rue and old wage
was formidable, and the Pistorius family didn't stop there. Scientists
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such as top forensic pathologists Reggi Peramol and private investigators
were also highed to develop the strongest possible legal defense
for Oscar. Even the court of public opinion was catered
to by Oscar Pistorius's family with the hiring of Stuart Higgins,
former editor of The Sun newspaper, assigned to pr The
strategy of Oscar's supercharged team was singular and clear, to
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prove the shooting of Rivastinekamp was a tragic accident and
not a premeditated murder? Could they do it? Everyone following
the case was on the edge of their seat waiting
to find out. So intensely was Oscar's trial anticipated that
there were echoes of the oj Simpson cases mania Every development,
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every visit to the courthouse, and every statement from the
legal teams was destined to be dissected and analyzed by
pundits and experts from around the globe. The stage was set,
and on March third, twenty fourteen, it was curtains up
as the blade Runner entered the High Court of South
Africa in Pretoria on the first day of his trial.
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It's important to note that he was not facing a
jury of his peers. This is because in South Africa
the judicial system doesn't use jury trials. Instead, a judge,
sometimes assisted by assessors, decides the outcome of a case.
For Oscar Pistorius, his fate lay in the hands of
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Judge Docozile Massipa, known by her friends as Tilly. Sixty
six year old Judge Messipa had grown up under the
hardships of apartheid and risen to become the country's second
black female judge. According to The Financial Times, Judge Massipa
had also earned a reputation for defending women's rights, and
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the year before Oscar's trial, she had notably sentenced to
Siria rapist to two hundred and fifty years in prison.
If the prosecution's case stuck. It seemed unlikely that Judge
Messipa would serve up a lenience sentence for Oscar Pistorius,
and the prosecution's case was daunting. Oscar faced multiple serious charges,
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including illegal possession of ammunition, culpable homicide which we call
manslaughter in the US, and premeditated murder. Premeditated murder was
by far the most serious charge, and if Oscar was
found guilty on this charge, it came with a mandatory
life sentence with a minimum of twenty five years served
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before parole eligibility. Prosecutor Harry Nell, known as the pit
Bull in South African legal circles for his fierce courtroom
demeanor and meticulous attention to detail, hammered home the premeditated
murder charge. Prosecutor Nell argued that Oscar Pistorius had not
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acted out of fear of an intruder, but out of
rage following a heated argument with Revstine Camp. As reported
by The New York Times, Harry Nell said it defied
comprehension that Revastein Camp had not screamed, as Oscar asserted
when he shot her in the head. Prosecutor Nell also
said that if Oscar Pasorius had truly feared an intruder,
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then it was inconceivable that he would not have checked
that Riva was safe before drawing his gun. The forensic
evidence presented by the prosecution was crucial to supporting Harry
Nell's argument. Bullet trajectories and the grouping of shots all
suggested a deliberate and calculated act. Results of A partial
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autopsy revealed that Riva had been struck by three of
the four bullets that had been fired through the bathroom door,
sustaining wounds to her head, hip and arm. Captain Christian Mangana,
a ballistic expert, told the court that after being hit
in the right hip, revastein Camp fell backwards and three
more bullets were fired. He believed the fatal shot went
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through her left hand into her skull as she crossed
her arms over her head to protect herself. Forensic investigator
Colonel Johannes Vermullin then demonstrated that Oscar Pistorius had not
been wearing his prosthetics at the time he forced the
door open with a cricket bat after the shooting. As
the defense claimed, Colonel Vermullin reenacted wielding a cricket bat
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at a door in court before declaring that everyone could
see the marks on the door are actually consistent with
Oscar not having his legs on. But even more damning
than the forensic evidence and Prosecutor Harry Nell's tenacious arguments
were Reva's own words. Her mobile phone was recovered from
the bathroom where she died, and her text messages to
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Oscar were revealing I was not flirting with anyone today.
I feel sick that you suggested that Reva texted Oscar
in one instance, providing a glimpse into his jealous and
controlling nature. You have picked on me excessively, Reva wrote,
I do everything to make you happy and to not
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say anything to rock the boat with you. Reva's words
painted a picture of a relationship fraud, with tension and insecurity,
undermining the Defensi's portrayal of a loving couple an Oscar's
portrayal of himself as grief stricken and innocent. Prosecutor Harry
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Nell unsurprisingly used Reva's messages to argue that Oscar Pistorius
had a documented history of emotional instability and controlling behavior,
which culminated in the tragic event of February fourteenth, twenty thirteen.
She was standing there talking to you when you shot
her in the head, Prosecutor Nell said to Oscar and
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cross examination, Reva was not scared of an intruder. She
was scared of you. You shot at her, knowing she
was behind that door. You shot and killed her. Won't
you take responsibility for that? But even as Riva's parents,
June and Barry choked back tears in the courtroom. Oscar
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did not admit responsibility. Rather, his defense team attempted to
contextualize the text messages, with Attorney Berri Roux arguing that
all couples have disagreements. Out of that more than seventeen
hundred text messages, you found four relevant to an argument.
Attorney Rue pointedly asked data analysts Captain Francois Moler. Captain
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Mohler said yes, before Attorney Rue steam rolled ahead to
share some of the loving texts between his client and
the deceased. These included a text in which Oscar told
Riva that he was the luckiest guy ever, and in
another exchange that she looked amaze balls. The defense was
hopeful that by sharing some of these lighter exchanges, they'd
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managed to portray a more balanced view of the relationship
between Riva and Oscar, but they weren't counting on Judge
Massipa being won over by this counter argument. Oscar Pistorius's
top notch defense team knew that they had to convince
the judge that their client's actions had been genuinely driven
by fear rather than malice. To avoid the premeditated murder charge.
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They needed her to you Oscar as a man deeply
traumatized by crime, living in constant fear due to the
high crime rates in South Africa, his disability, defense attorney
Barry Rue argued, would naturally have made Oscar feel even
more vulnerable at the prospect of an intruder, particularly as
he would have been physically smaller without his legs on
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than any trespasser. Further, attorney rupressed, it was evident that
Oscar Pistorius's emotional state was that of a devastated man.
While one of Oscar's neighbors, Michelle Berger, told the court
how she'd been woken up by a woman's blood curdling screams,
Barry Rue insisted that she could not prove the screams
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came from Reva rather than a distraught Oscar Pistorius. After all,
the defense reminded the judge Oscar's other neighbor, doctor Johann Stipp,
had believed Oscar's genuine heartbreak after the shooting. Whoa. Yvette
von Skulkwik, the social worker and probation officer assigned to
Oscar after the shooting, also testified that, in her professional opinion,
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he was heartbroken, genuinely sorry for Reva's parents, suffering emotionally
and deeply missing Riva. Yvette's perspective as a social worker
was shared by clinical psychologist Jonathan Schultz, who assessed Oscar
and provided a report read by defense attorney Barry Rue
in court. This report stated that mister Oscar Pastorius has
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been severely traumatized by the events that took place on
fourteen February twenty thirteen. He currently suffers from post traumatic
stress disorder and major depressive disorder. The degree of anxiety
andres es that is present is significant. He is also
mourning the loss of Miss Reevastemcamp. Mister Pistorius is being
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treated and should continue to receive clinical care by a
psychiatrist and a clinical psychologist for his current condition. Should
he not receive proper clinical care, his condition is likely
to worsen and increase the risk for suicide. Judge Tilli
Masipa was in a challenging position. Both the defense and
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prosecution in Oscar Pistorius's trial were at the top of
their legal games, and the most compelling words were, of course,
yet to be uttered. In her courtroom. On April seventh,
twenty fourteen, Oscar himself took the stand with the whole
world watching. I would like to take this opportunity to
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apologize to missus and mister Steencamp, to Reva's family, to
those of you who knew her who are here today.
There hasn't been a moment since this tragedy happened that
I haven't thought about your family, Oscar began. I wake
up every morning, and you're the first people I think of,
the first people I pray for. I can't imagine the
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pain and the sorrow and the emptiness that I've caused
you and your family. I was simply trying to protect Riva.
I can promise that when she went to bed that night,
she felt loved. According to the BBC, Reva Steinkamp's mother, June,
watched stony face as Oscar spoke. Oscar captivated viewers with
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his dramatic courtroom behavior in the coming weeks, which ranged
from vomiting when pictures of Riva's wounds were displayed to
multiple tearful breakdowns. His emotional testimony was, of course, a
key element of his defense team's strategy aimed at humanizing
him and eliciting empathy from Judge Messipa. It proved to
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be a highly effective strategy. Judge Messipa respond compassionately to
Oscar Pistorius' emotional upheaval, adjourning the trial several times so
that he could compose himself in the court of public opinion.
These adjournments helped paint a picture of a man deeply
affected by the loss of his girlfriend, reinforcing the defense's
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narrative of Revasteinekamp's killing as a genuine, tragic mistake. The
breaks for Oscar during the trial also supported attorney ruse
argument that his client's emotional instability was consistent with someone
who would act it out of fear and panic. The
morning of February fourteenth, twenty thirteen, rather than premeditation, forty
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one days after Oscar Pistorius's trial had begun, it was done.
Prosecutor Harry Nell's closing arguments reiterated the key points of
their case, the forensic evidence of premeditation, the volatile nature
of Oscar and Revas's RS relationship, and Oscar's reckless history
with firearms. Defense attorney Barry Roue's closing arguments reiterated the
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key points of their case that investigators had mishandled the
crime scene, that the prosecution's case was not airtight beyond
a reasonable doubt, and that Oscar was clearly emotionally impacted
by what had transpired, a man devastated by his own
terrible mistake. No one was arguing that Reva's life had
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been lost. Attorney Roue emphasized the defense did believe, however,
that since there was no intention on Oscar's part to
kill Reva, that the shooting should have only led to
a charge of culpable homicide rather than premeditated murder. With
the closing arguments complete, it was time for Judge Tillie
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Masipa to deliberate. She told both sides to return to
the High Court in Pretoria on September eleventh, twenty fourteen,
to hear her ruling. As everyone waited with anticipation to
learn Oscar's fate, many legal experts weighed in with their predictions.
Criminal defense lawyer and former prosecutor Marius de Troy, for one,
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told The New York Times that I would think that
the ruling would be between culpable homicide and premeditated murder.
I don't know if the state has done enough for
murder to be proved beyond a reasonable doubt, and I
think Oscar Pistorius may have done too much for culpable homicide.
Would Toy's prediction prove accurate? On September eleventh, twenty fourteen,
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all parties reconvened in court to hear Judge Tilly Masipa's verdict. Now,
it can take hours or even days for a verdict
to be delivered, and so it wasn't until the next day,
September twelfth, twenty fourteen, that Oscar Pistorius learned his fate.
The BBC reported that Judge massip but didn't mince her
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words when she said the athlete Oscar Pistorius, who has
a good knowledge of guns, acted negligently by firing four
shots into a confined space. She questioned why he did
not phone for help or run to the balcony instead
of confronting the apparent danger, questions that have plagued many
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But then, having admonished Oscar with these words, and despite
clear outrage from Prosecutor Harry Nell, Judge Messipa announced that
Oscar Pistorius was not guilty of murder. She only found
Oscar guilty of culpable homicide. I am of the view
that the accused acted too hastily and used excessive force.
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In the circumstances, it is clear that his conduct was negligent.
Judge Massipa declared. Oscar was given a five year jail
sentence and sent to Pretoria's hosimm Peru prison, which houses
approximately seven thousand inmates. His defense team told reporters that
they expected Oscar to serve about ten months in the
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prison's hospital wing before being transferred to house arrest for
the duration of his sentence. The public's reaction to Oscar
Pistorius's sentence was swift and mostly negative. In the Twitter verse,
many expressed outrage at such a short sentence. The hashtag
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things longer than Oscar's sentence trended closer to home. South
Africans were also conflicted, with many feeling that justice had
not been served. The Women's League of the ruling African
National Congress party said that it was dissatisfied with the
culpable homicide conviction and that Oscar Pistorius should have been
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found guilty of murder. It urged prosecutors to appeal in
a statement which read, we hold that regardless of who
missed Pistorius believed to be behind the bathroom door that
fateful night, he shot to kill Ill, and therefore a
murder did occur. Remarkably, Reva Steenkamp's mother, June, was among
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the minority who expressed initial support for Judge Messipa's lenient ruling.
I didn't want Oscar to be thrown in jail and
be suffering because I don't wish suffering on anyone, and
his incarceration isn't going to bring Reva back, June said
in a speech at Reva's former school in Port Elizabeth.
June also told BBC three that there's never going to
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be closure. How can there be closure. Reva's not coming back.
We just have to try and move on with our life.
You know. I'm going to build shelters for abused women,
raise money for that. Reva's father, Barry, also expressed in
the same BBC three interview that he too was pleased
that the whole thing is over, but he seemed less
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inclined to move on than his wife. Before I forgive, forgive,
like any forgiveness, I want to talk to Oscar first,
Barry said, through tears. It won't be anything nice or
anything like that. But I'd like to sit down and
talk to him. Barry and Junesteen Camp would visit Oscar
in prison nine years later, on June twenty second, twenty
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twenty two, but the conversation wouldn't unfold the way they imagined,
and the road to that discussion would be fraught with complication.
Oscar Pistorius was released from prison on October nineteenth, twenty fifteen,
to continue his sentence under house arrest, as his defense
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team had predicted. The only thing his all star defense
team hadn't foreseen was a successful appeal by the prosecution.
Harry Nell had filed the appeal believing strongly that Judge
Massipa's culpable homicide ruling had been a miscarriage of justice.
According to his appeal application, as reported by Independent Online,
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there were three aggravating major factors that Judge Messipa should
have taken into account in her sentencing. The number of
shots fired, that Oscar had already formed the intention to
shoot in his bedroom before he had even approached the bathroom,
and lastly, the Supreme Court of Appeals rejection of Oscar
Pistorius's claims of self defense with the Appellate Court's support
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of the prosecution, Oscar's conviction was upgraded to murder and
his case was sent back to the lower court and
Judge Messipa for re sentencing. When the case returned to
court on July sixth, twenty sixteen, Judge Mesceepa sentenced Oscar
Pistorius to six years in prison for murder, rather than
the five years she'd handed down previously for culpable homicide.
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Those who had been upset by Oscar's initial lenient sentence
felt that Judge Messeepa had missed a second opportunity to
realize justice for Refestine Camp, as reported by The New
York Times. Gareth Knewhim, a criminal justice researcher at the
Institute for Security Studies in Pretoria, said that it was
not unusual for a judge to consider mitigating factors in
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deviating from sentencing guidelines, but the six year sentence from
Judge Massipa for murder, he said, would most likely anger
a public that has come to regard mister Pistorius much
less sympathetically. Reeva's parents had also been living with their
terrible loss for over three years. By Oscar's second sentencing,
and having discovered that time was not dissipating their pain.
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Their initial acceptance of Judge Messipa's leniency had soured. The
New York Times reported that Barry Steenkamp gave tearful testimony
at Oscar's second sentencing and that mister Pistoria's had to
pay for his crime. Mister Steenkamp said his daughter's killing
had contributed to his having a stroke. Mister Steenkamp, a diabetic,
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said that his grief has been so severe that he
would take his insolence syringe and quote shove it into
my stomach and my own arms to see if I
could feel the same type of pain but no. Prosecutors
were also gobsmacked by Judge Mascipa's six year sentence for
murder and the Pitbull. Harry Nell promptly appealed again, arguing
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that Oscar Pistorius's revised jail term was still less than
half the fifteen years the prosecution had sought. The National
Prosecuting Authority agreed with Harry Nell that the sentence was
disproportionate to the crime and could bring the entire South
African justice system into disrepute. The National Prosecuting Authority released
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a statement saying we hope that this appeal will also
clarify further the principles of sentencing, particularly in crime categories
for which there are prescribed minimum sentences ordained by legislation.
But Judge Massepa fired back in defensive for sentencing, explaining
that she had given Oscar Pistorius a six year sentence
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because mitigating circumstances such as rehabilitation and remorse had outweighed
aggravating factors such as his failure to fire a warning shot.
The BBC reported the JUDGEMENTSIPA further stated that public opinion
may be loud and persistent, but it can play no
role in the decision of this court. In South African
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legal circles, however, there was a growing cry to write
the perceived wrong against Revasteine Camp and her surviving family.
On November twenty fourth, twenty seventeen, South Africa's Supreme Court
of Appeal unanimously upheld the prosecutor's appeal against Oscar Pistorius
his six year sentence for the murder of Revasteine Camp.
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Supreme Court Justice Willie Serreedi announced that the sentence of
six years imprisonment is shockingly lenient, to a point where
it is the effect of trivializing this serious offense. Oscar's
sentence was instantly doubled to thirteen years and five months.
Under South African law, all offenders are entitled to be
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considered for parole once they have served half their total sentence.
Oscar Pistorius would now be eligible for parole in twenty
twenty three instead of twenty nineteen. Among Oscar's visitors in
prison were Barry and June's Steam Camp. Despite Oscar's increased
prison sentence, Reva's parents could not find peace. They needed
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the conversation that Barry had told the BBC he'd wanted
back in twenty fourteen. They had to hear the truth
directly from Oscar about their daughter's final moments. However, their
sit down with Oscar in June twenty twenty two did
not feel productive to the grief stricken Steam Camps. Barry
told Good Morning Britain that all June and I wanted
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to know from Oscar was the truth. What we feel
was the truth that he actually killed her because of anger.
June and Barry turned their personal tragedy and lack of
closure into something positive for society by forming the Reva
Rebecca Steenkamp Foundation to educate and empower victims of violence
and abuse. But even as they poured their energy into
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the foundation, refocusing attention on their daughter's life, Barry's health deteriorated.
On September fourteenth, twenty twenty three, less than a month
after he planned the commemorative fortieth birthday of Riva, Barry
passed away unexpectedly in his sleep. The Steenkamp family's lawyer
and spokesperson, Tanya Kuhn, told News twenty three that June
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and the rest of the family are in a state
of shock because they did not expect this at all.
Barry's health had always been a problem, but there was
no illness when he died. He was very emotional over
Reva's death and so loyal. Barry could just never get
over Reva's death. As June Steencamp grappled with the loss
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of her beloved husband a decade after the murder of
her daughter, Oscar pistoria Is prepared himself for parole. After
serving nearly eight years of his thirteen year and five
month sentence, Oscar Pistorius was released from prison on January fifth,
twenty twenty four. His release was met with mixed reactions
mirroring the divided public opinion that dogged the case from
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the beginning. Some saw his release as a second chance
for a man who had paid his debt to society,
while others viewed it as another reminder of the pain,
tragedy and injustice of Rev. Esteemcamp's death. Since his release,
Oscar has faced the daunting task of reintegrating into society.
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It hasn't been easy. According to The New York Post,
He's been ostracized by his former pals, and while Oscar
has reached out to at least two members of the
International Paralympic Committee asking if they could work together in
any capacity, he was quickly rebuffed. One of the committee members,
who received a message from Oscar explained, he's too toxic
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to work with now. There's nothing for him here. Perhaps
this is why Oscar has turned his immediate focus to
religion and charitable work. According to his parole paperwork, Oscar
has listed his volunteer work at n G kirk Waterklouf,
the Dutch Reformed church which is attended by his uncle
Arnold Pastorius. Oscar does light maintenance and janitorial work for
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the church, and he quietly attends services that New York
Post reported, of course, it's unlikely that Oscar will be
quietly doing anything after his media ban is lifted. In
twenty twenty nine, the BBC speculated that Oscar's fame means
he will find a platform, and the renewed presence of
Oscar on the world stage will be unwelcomed to June Steamcamp,
(34:47):
who continues to push herself forward against all the odds
in honor of her daughter. My only desire is that
I will be allowed to live my last years in peace,
with my focus remaining on the Viva Rebecca Steamcamp Foundation
to continue Reva's legacy. June Steamcamp told the BBC, as
(35:07):
we reflect on the story of Oscar Pastorius, the Blade Runner,
we're reminded of the duality of the human spirit, the
capacity for both greatness and profound depravity. Oscar's story is
also forever intertwined with Reva Steamcamp, whose life was cut
tragically short, but whose legacy continues through her family's foundation.
(35:30):
For more information, please visit Reva Steamcampfoundation dot org. That's
r e E v A s t e e n
KA MP Foundation dot o RG. June Stemcamp's efforts to
empower women is a true testament to Reva's memory, while
(35:53):
this scandal is Oscar Pistorius's The inspirational story of the
Steamcamp family strength despite immeasurable grief belongs to Reva. I'm
Jay Harris and this has been Playing Dirty Sports Scandals.
Join me next week for another gripping story from the
world of sports, where triumph and scandal are often served blended.
(36:27):
Playing Dirty Sports Scandals is a production of Dan Patrick Productions,
Never Ever Productions and Workhouse Media from executive producers Dan Patrick,
Paul Anderson, Nick Panela, Maya Glickman, and Jennifer Claring. Hosted
by Jay Harris, Written and produced by Jen Brown, Francie Haiks,
Maya Glickman, and Jennifer Clare.
Welcome back to playing Dirty Sports Scandals. I'm Jay Harris,
your host. You're brave Barista and the bearer of this
heartbreaking Valentine's Day saga. Together we'll dig deeper into how
the beautiful, brilliant Reva Steinkamp died on February fourteenth, twenty thirteen.
Was her killing a terrible, unwitting accident motivated by Oscar Pistorius'
(00:30):
sheer paranoia over a home intruder. Or was Reva murdered
in cold blood by her famous blade runner boyfriend who
had an awful temper mixed with a passion for firearms. Certainly,
(00:51):
investigators and prosecutors didn't buy Oscar's claims of an intruder
in his mansion on the silver Woods Estate in Pretoria,
even though first responders did paint a picture of him
as a deeply distraught lover. The manager of silver Woods
Estate and his daughter were the first two people on
the scene after the shooting. The manager testified that Oscar
(01:13):
had been crying, screaming, and praying while carrying Reva's bloodied
body down the stairs when they arrived, and doctor Johann Stipp,
a neighbor who rushed over to help when he heard
the commotion. Also described the scene as chaotic and devastating,
with Oscar pleading for Reva to stay alive. Doctor Stipp
(01:33):
would later testify that Oscar looked sincere to me. He
was crying, there were tears on his face. He was saying,
please let her live. He was saying he would dedicate
his life to God if she will only live. But
while the estate manager and doctor Johann Stipp seemed to
buy Oscar's version of events, Detective Hilton Botha, a twenty
(01:56):
four year veteran of the South African Police Service, shared
with Vanity Air that he never doubted revastein Camp's death
was a calculated murder. There's no way anything else could
have happened. Detected both And said, it was just Oscar
and Riva in the house, and according to the security registers,
she had been staying there for two to three days,
(02:17):
so he had to be used to her by that time.
There was no forced entry. The only place there could
have been entrants was the open bathroom window, and we
did everything we could to see if anyone went through it,
and it was impossible, so I thought it was an
open and closed case. Oscar Pistoria shot revasteain Camp. That's it.
(02:39):
I was convinced that it was murder, and I told
my colonel, you already read him his rights, so you
have to arrest him. And that's what went down. Oscar
Pistorius was taken into custody and charged with murder within
hours of Riva's death. As police and prosecutors got to work,
(03:02):
investigators and attorneys were scrambling on the heels of Oscar's arrest,
and they weren't the only ones. The following days devolved
into a media frenzy, with the world watching as details
of the case unfolded. The once celebrated athlete now found
himself with a problem he couldn't outrun. Oscar Pistorius was
(03:22):
a spectator, seeing his life unravel in the public eye
as he faced the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence. Meanwhile,
Revasteencamp's devastated parents, June and Barry, had to navigate their
personal tragedy in the public eye as well. Sky News
reported that June and Barry Steamcamp faced the gathering of
(03:43):
camera crews who filmed their every movement with stoicism and fortitude,
but no one was left in any doubt that they
hated every minute of being in the spotlight. June herself
admitted as much, saying the media interest meant the loss
of our privacy and made it difficult to mourn our
daughter Riva in peace. We who remain behind are the
(04:05):
ones serving a life sentence. On February nineteenth, twenty thirteen,
the stunned, heartbroken Steamcamp family watched, alongside millions of others,
as Oscar's four day bail hearing began. It is extremely
unusual for bail hearing to last more than a day,
but Oscar was a public figure and both sides had
(04:27):
come prepared to duke it out. Each blow packed a
punch and took time to deliver. Prosecutor Harry Nell argued
vehemently against allowing any bail for Oscar Pistorius, insisting that
Oscar posed a flight risk and emphasizing that he should
be charged and held without bail for premeditated murder. But
(04:50):
Oscar's lawyer, defense attorney Barry Rue, countered powerfully. He emphasized
his client's disability, the logistical difficulties Oscar would face if incarcerated,
his status as a national hero, and insisted that Revastinekamp's
tragic death was a terrible accident, not premeditated murder. Attorney
(05:10):
Rue further argued that Oscar deserved to be released on
bail while awaiting trial because the investigation into Reva's death
had been mishandled by the prosecution. In a shocking turn
of events, the defense declared that lead detective Hilton Botha's
credibility was nil since he himself was facing seven charges
of attempted murder what allegedly in October twenty eleven, detected
(05:37):
both the and two other officers opened fire on seven
passengers in a taxi minibus to stop the vehicle. Sky
News reported that it was claimed the officers who were
on duty at the time were drunk. Wow, it certainly
didn't help matters that detected. Both A further admitted under
defense questioning that the police quote had lost track of
(06:00):
ammunition found inside Oscar Pistorius's house and it failed to
wear protective clothing at the crime scene. With the shockers
disclosed by and about lead investigator detected both the under
defense attorney Barry Rous, questioning the prosecution, led by Harry Nell,
had little chance of successfully winning its no bail bid
(06:24):
for Oscar Pistorius. Chief Magistrate Desmond Nail, who would notably
be suspended and facing corruption charges himself just three and
a half years later for allegedly receiving kickbacks, ruled in
favor of the defense and set the bail amount at
one million Rand, which was equivalent to approximately one hundred
(06:44):
thirteen thousand dollars. For an athlete of Oscar's stature, this
amount was a drop in the bucket. Additional conditions of
Oscar's bail included surrendering his passports, refraining from alcohol consumption,
and reporting to a police station twice a week. Oscar
Pistorius was released from police custody on February twenty second,
(07:05):
twenty thirteen, just nine days after Reva Steinekamp's death, to
await his trial as a freeman. Now, while Oscar's relationship
with his father had been strained ever since Hank Pastorius
walked out on the family, Oscar did have the benefit
of an enduring close relationship with his paternal uncle, Arnold Pistorius,
(07:29):
and Arnold's wife, Lois Pastorius. Arnold and Lois had taken
Oscar and his siblings in after their biological mother, Sheila's
death and raised him from age fifteen onwards. Uncle Arnold
and Aunt Lois were Oscar's rocks, and he needed them
now more than ever. As soon as he was released
on bail, Oscar went to live with them in their
(07:50):
magnificent home in the upscale suburb of Watercloof in Pretoria.
Their estate was the perfect place to hunker down and
prepare for trial. The three story mansion provided relative privacy
from the relentless press frenzy. While media outlets from around
the world camped outside of Arnold and Lois Pastorius' home,
(08:11):
the most they could hope for was a glimpse of
the blade runner behind a massive gate in leafy trees.
Oscar Pistorius' family and legal team focused on preparing for
the upcoming trial. His defense attorneys, Barry Rue and Kenny
old Wage were notoriously dogged, with a history of taking
on and winning high profile cases. Notably, attorney old Wage
(08:34):
had successfully defended Oscar Pistorius's brother Karl against the culpable
homicide charge related to the death of a woman motorcyclist
named Mariiki Barnard in a traffic accident in two thousand
and eight. The combination of attorneys rue and old wage
was formidable, and the Pistorius family didn't stop there. Scientists
(08:55):
such as top forensic pathologists Reggi Peramol and private investigators
were also highed to develop the strongest possible legal defense
for Oscar. Even the court of public opinion was catered
to by Oscar Pistorius's family with the hiring of Stuart Higgins,
former editor of The Sun newspaper, assigned to pr The
strategy of Oscar's supercharged team was singular and clear, to
(09:19):
prove the shooting of Rivastinekamp was a tragic accident and
not a premeditated murder? Could they do it? Everyone following
the case was on the edge of their seat waiting
to find out. So intensely was Oscar's trial anticipated that
there were echoes of the oj Simpson cases mania Every development,
(09:43):
every visit to the courthouse, and every statement from the
legal teams was destined to be dissected and analyzed by
pundits and experts from around the globe. The stage was set,
and on March third, twenty fourteen, it was curtains up
as the blade Runner entered the High Court of South
Africa in Pretoria on the first day of his trial.
(10:05):
It's important to note that he was not facing a
jury of his peers. This is because in South Africa
the judicial system doesn't use jury trials. Instead, a judge,
sometimes assisted by assessors, decides the outcome of a case.
For Oscar Pistorius, his fate lay in the hands of
(10:25):
Judge Docozile Massipa, known by her friends as Tilly. Sixty
six year old Judge Messipa had grown up under the
hardships of apartheid and risen to become the country's second
black female judge. According to The Financial Times, Judge Massipa
had also earned a reputation for defending women's rights, and
(10:46):
the year before Oscar's trial, she had notably sentenced to
Siria rapist to two hundred and fifty years in prison.
If the prosecution's case stuck. It seemed unlikely that Judge
Messipa would serve up a lenience sentence for Oscar Pistorius,
and the prosecution's case was daunting. Oscar faced multiple serious charges,
(11:07):
including illegal possession of ammunition, culpable homicide which we call
manslaughter in the US, and premeditated murder. Premeditated murder was
by far the most serious charge, and if Oscar was
found guilty on this charge, it came with a mandatory
life sentence with a minimum of twenty five years served
(11:27):
before parole eligibility. Prosecutor Harry Nell, known as the pit
Bull in South African legal circles for his fierce courtroom
demeanor and meticulous attention to detail, hammered home the premeditated
murder charge. Prosecutor Nell argued that Oscar Pistorius had not
(11:49):
acted out of fear of an intruder, but out of
rage following a heated argument with Revstine Camp. As reported
by The New York Times, Harry Nell said it defied
comprehension that Revastein Camp had not screamed, as Oscar asserted
when he shot her in the head. Prosecutor Nell also
said that if Oscar Pasorius had truly feared an intruder,
(12:13):
then it was inconceivable that he would not have checked
that Riva was safe before drawing his gun. The forensic
evidence presented by the prosecution was crucial to supporting Harry
Nell's argument. Bullet trajectories and the grouping of shots all
suggested a deliberate and calculated act. Results of A partial
(12:33):
autopsy revealed that Riva had been struck by three of
the four bullets that had been fired through the bathroom door,
sustaining wounds to her head, hip and arm. Captain Christian Mangana,
a ballistic expert, told the court that after being hit
in the right hip, revastein Camp fell backwards and three
more bullets were fired. He believed the fatal shot went
(12:56):
through her left hand into her skull as she crossed
her arms over her head to protect herself. Forensic investigator
Colonel Johannes Vermullin then demonstrated that Oscar Pistorius had not
been wearing his prosthetics at the time he forced the
door open with a cricket bat after the shooting. As
the defense claimed, Colonel Vermullin reenacted wielding a cricket bat
(13:19):
at a door in court before declaring that everyone could
see the marks on the door are actually consistent with
Oscar not having his legs on. But even more damning
than the forensic evidence and Prosecutor Harry Nell's tenacious arguments
were Reva's own words. Her mobile phone was recovered from
the bathroom where she died, and her text messages to
(13:42):
Oscar were revealing I was not flirting with anyone today.
I feel sick that you suggested that Reva texted Oscar
in one instance, providing a glimpse into his jealous and
controlling nature. You have picked on me excessively, Reva wrote,
I do everything to make you happy and to not
(14:03):
say anything to rock the boat with you. Reva's words
painted a picture of a relationship fraud, with tension and insecurity,
undermining the Defensi's portrayal of a loving couple an Oscar's
portrayal of himself as grief stricken and innocent. Prosecutor Harry
(14:25):
Nell unsurprisingly used Reva's messages to argue that Oscar Pistorius
had a documented history of emotional instability and controlling behavior,
which culminated in the tragic event of February fourteenth, twenty thirteen.
She was standing there talking to you when you shot
her in the head, Prosecutor Nell said to Oscar and
(14:46):
cross examination, Reva was not scared of an intruder. She
was scared of you. You shot at her, knowing she
was behind that door. You shot and killed her. Won't
you take responsibility for that? But even as Riva's parents,
June and Barry choked back tears in the courtroom. Oscar
(15:06):
did not admit responsibility. Rather, his defense team attempted to
contextualize the text messages, with Attorney Berri Roux arguing that
all couples have disagreements. Out of that more than seventeen
hundred text messages, you found four relevant to an argument.
Attorney Rue pointedly asked data analysts Captain Francois Moler. Captain
(15:29):
Mohler said yes, before Attorney Rue steam rolled ahead to
share some of the loving texts between his client and
the deceased. These included a text in which Oscar told
Riva that he was the luckiest guy ever, and in
another exchange that she looked amaze balls. The defense was
hopeful that by sharing some of these lighter exchanges, they'd
(15:52):
managed to portray a more balanced view of the relationship
between Riva and Oscar, but they weren't counting on Judge
Massipa being won over by this counter argument. Oscar Pistorius's
top notch defense team knew that they had to convince
the judge that their client's actions had been genuinely driven
by fear rather than malice. To avoid the premeditated murder charge.
(16:15):
They needed her to you Oscar as a man deeply
traumatized by crime, living in constant fear due to the
high crime rates in South Africa, his disability, defense attorney
Barry Rue argued, would naturally have made Oscar feel even
more vulnerable at the prospect of an intruder, particularly as
he would have been physically smaller without his legs on
(16:36):
than any trespasser. Further, attorney rupressed, it was evident that
Oscar Pistorius's emotional state was that of a devastated man.
While one of Oscar's neighbors, Michelle Berger, told the court
how she'd been woken up by a woman's blood curdling screams,
Barry Rue insisted that she could not prove the screams
(16:59):
came from Reva rather than a distraught Oscar Pistorius. After all,
the defense reminded the judge Oscar's other neighbor, doctor Johann Stipp,
had believed Oscar's genuine heartbreak after the shooting. Whoa. Yvette
von Skulkwik, the social worker and probation officer assigned to
Oscar after the shooting, also testified that, in her professional opinion,
(17:23):
he was heartbroken, genuinely sorry for Reva's parents, suffering emotionally
and deeply missing Riva. Yvette's perspective as a social worker
was shared by clinical psychologist Jonathan Schultz, who assessed Oscar
and provided a report read by defense attorney Barry Rue
in court. This report stated that mister Oscar Pastorius has
(17:46):
been severely traumatized by the events that took place on
fourteen February twenty thirteen. He currently suffers from post traumatic
stress disorder and major depressive disorder. The degree of anxiety
andres es that is present is significant. He is also
mourning the loss of Miss Reevastemcamp. Mister Pistorius is being
(18:07):
treated and should continue to receive clinical care by a
psychiatrist and a clinical psychologist for his current condition. Should
he not receive proper clinical care, his condition is likely
to worsen and increase the risk for suicide. Judge Tilli
Masipa was in a challenging position. Both the defense and
(18:28):
prosecution in Oscar Pistorius's trial were at the top of
their legal games, and the most compelling words were, of course,
yet to be uttered. In her courtroom. On April seventh,
twenty fourteen, Oscar himself took the stand with the whole
world watching. I would like to take this opportunity to
(18:48):
apologize to missus and mister Steencamp, to Reva's family, to
those of you who knew her who are here today.
There hasn't been a moment since this tragedy happened that
I haven't thought about your family, Oscar began. I wake
up every morning, and you're the first people I think of,
the first people I pray for. I can't imagine the
(19:09):
pain and the sorrow and the emptiness that I've caused
you and your family. I was simply trying to protect Riva.
I can promise that when she went to bed that night,
she felt loved. According to the BBC, Reva Steinkamp's mother, June,
watched stony face as Oscar spoke. Oscar captivated viewers with
(19:34):
his dramatic courtroom behavior in the coming weeks, which ranged
from vomiting when pictures of Riva's wounds were displayed to
multiple tearful breakdowns. His emotional testimony was, of course, a
key element of his defense team's strategy aimed at humanizing
him and eliciting empathy from Judge Messipa. It proved to
(19:56):
be a highly effective strategy. Judge Messipa respond compassionately to
Oscar Pistorius' emotional upheaval, adjourning the trial several times so
that he could compose himself in the court of public opinion.
These adjournments helped paint a picture of a man deeply
affected by the loss of his girlfriend, reinforcing the defense's
(20:18):
narrative of Revasteinekamp's killing as a genuine, tragic mistake. The
breaks for Oscar during the trial also supported attorney ruse
argument that his client's emotional instability was consistent with someone
who would act it out of fear and panic. The
morning of February fourteenth, twenty thirteen, rather than premeditation, forty
(20:44):
one days after Oscar Pistorius's trial had begun, it was done.
Prosecutor Harry Nell's closing arguments reiterated the key points of
their case, the forensic evidence of premeditation, the volatile nature
of Oscar and Revas's RS relationship, and Oscar's reckless history
with firearms. Defense attorney Barry Roue's closing arguments reiterated the
(21:08):
key points of their case that investigators had mishandled the
crime scene, that the prosecution's case was not airtight beyond
a reasonable doubt, and that Oscar was clearly emotionally impacted
by what had transpired, a man devastated by his own
terrible mistake. No one was arguing that Reva's life had
(21:29):
been lost. Attorney Roue emphasized the defense did believe, however,
that since there was no intention on Oscar's part to
kill Reva, that the shooting should have only led to
a charge of culpable homicide rather than premeditated murder. With
the closing arguments complete, it was time for Judge Tillie
(21:50):
Masipa to deliberate. She told both sides to return to
the High Court in Pretoria on September eleventh, twenty fourteen,
to hear her ruling. As everyone waited with anticipation to
learn Oscar's fate, many legal experts weighed in with their predictions.
Criminal defense lawyer and former prosecutor Marius de Troy, for one,
(22:12):
told The New York Times that I would think that
the ruling would be between culpable homicide and premeditated murder.
I don't know if the state has done enough for
murder to be proved beyond a reasonable doubt, and I
think Oscar Pistorius may have done too much for culpable homicide.
Would Toy's prediction prove accurate? On September eleventh, twenty fourteen,
(22:40):
all parties reconvened in court to hear Judge Tilly Masipa's verdict. Now,
it can take hours or even days for a verdict
to be delivered, and so it wasn't until the next day,
September twelfth, twenty fourteen, that Oscar Pistorius learned his fate.
The BBC reported that Judge massip but didn't mince her
(23:00):
words when she said the athlete Oscar Pistorius, who has
a good knowledge of guns, acted negligently by firing four
shots into a confined space. She questioned why he did
not phone for help or run to the balcony instead
of confronting the apparent danger, questions that have plagued many
(23:21):
But then, having admonished Oscar with these words, and despite
clear outrage from Prosecutor Harry Nell, Judge Messipa announced that
Oscar Pistorius was not guilty of murder. She only found
Oscar guilty of culpable homicide. I am of the view
that the accused acted too hastily and used excessive force.
(23:45):
In the circumstances, it is clear that his conduct was negligent.
Judge Massipa declared. Oscar was given a five year jail
sentence and sent to Pretoria's hosimm Peru prison, which houses
approximately seven thousand inmates. His defense team told reporters that
they expected Oscar to serve about ten months in the
(24:05):
prison's hospital wing before being transferred to house arrest for
the duration of his sentence. The public's reaction to Oscar
Pistorius's sentence was swift and mostly negative. In the Twitter verse,
many expressed outrage at such a short sentence. The hashtag
(24:26):
things longer than Oscar's sentence trended closer to home. South
Africans were also conflicted, with many feeling that justice had
not been served. The Women's League of the ruling African
National Congress party said that it was dissatisfied with the
culpable homicide conviction and that Oscar Pistorius should have been
(24:47):
found guilty of murder. It urged prosecutors to appeal in
a statement which read, we hold that regardless of who
missed Pistorius believed to be behind the bathroom door that
fateful night, he shot to kill Ill, and therefore a
murder did occur. Remarkably, Reva Steenkamp's mother, June, was among
(25:08):
the minority who expressed initial support for Judge Messipa's lenient ruling.
I didn't want Oscar to be thrown in jail and
be suffering because I don't wish suffering on anyone, and
his incarceration isn't going to bring Reva back, June said
in a speech at Reva's former school in Port Elizabeth.
June also told BBC three that there's never going to
(25:30):
be closure. How can there be closure. Reva's not coming back.
We just have to try and move on with our life.
You know. I'm going to build shelters for abused women,
raise money for that. Reva's father, Barry, also expressed in
the same BBC three interview that he too was pleased
that the whole thing is over, but he seemed less
(25:52):
inclined to move on than his wife. Before I forgive, forgive,
like any forgiveness, I want to talk to Oscar first,
Barry said, through tears. It won't be anything nice or
anything like that. But I'd like to sit down and
talk to him. Barry and Junesteen Camp would visit Oscar
in prison nine years later, on June twenty second, twenty
(26:15):
twenty two, but the conversation wouldn't unfold the way they imagined,
and the road to that discussion would be fraught with complication.
Oscar Pistorius was released from prison on October nineteenth, twenty fifteen,
to continue his sentence under house arrest, as his defense
(26:36):
team had predicted. The only thing his all star defense
team hadn't foreseen was a successful appeal by the prosecution.
Harry Nell had filed the appeal believing strongly that Judge
Massipa's culpable homicide ruling had been a miscarriage of justice.
According to his appeal application, as reported by Independent Online,
(26:57):
there were three aggravating major factors that Judge Messipa should
have taken into account in her sentencing. The number of
shots fired, that Oscar had already formed the intention to
shoot in his bedroom before he had even approached the bathroom,
and lastly, the Supreme Court of Appeals rejection of Oscar
Pistorius's claims of self defense with the Appellate Court's support
(27:20):
of the prosecution, Oscar's conviction was upgraded to murder and
his case was sent back to the lower court and
Judge Messipa for re sentencing. When the case returned to
court on July sixth, twenty sixteen, Judge Mesceepa sentenced Oscar
Pistorius to six years in prison for murder, rather than
the five years she'd handed down previously for culpable homicide.
(27:44):
Those who had been upset by Oscar's initial lenient sentence
felt that Judge Messeepa had missed a second opportunity to
realize justice for Refestine Camp, as reported by The New
York Times. Gareth Knewhim, a criminal justice researcher at the
Institute for Security Studies in Pretoria, said that it was
not unusual for a judge to consider mitigating factors in
(28:07):
deviating from sentencing guidelines, but the six year sentence from
Judge Massipa for murder, he said, would most likely anger
a public that has come to regard mister Pistorius much
less sympathetically. Reeva's parents had also been living with their
terrible loss for over three years. By Oscar's second sentencing,
and having discovered that time was not dissipating their pain.
(28:31):
Their initial acceptance of Judge Messipa's leniency had soured. The
New York Times reported that Barry Steenkamp gave tearful testimony
at Oscar's second sentencing and that mister Pistoria's had to
pay for his crime. Mister Steenkamp said his daughter's killing
had contributed to his having a stroke. Mister Steenkamp, a diabetic,
(28:52):
said that his grief has been so severe that he
would take his insolence syringe and quote shove it into
my stomach and my own arms to see if I
could feel the same type of pain but no. Prosecutors
were also gobsmacked by Judge Mascipa's six year sentence for
murder and the Pitbull. Harry Nell promptly appealed again, arguing
(29:14):
that Oscar Pistorius's revised jail term was still less than
half the fifteen years the prosecution had sought. The National
Prosecuting Authority agreed with Harry Nell that the sentence was
disproportionate to the crime and could bring the entire South
African justice system into disrepute. The National Prosecuting Authority released
(29:36):
a statement saying we hope that this appeal will also
clarify further the principles of sentencing, particularly in crime categories
for which there are prescribed minimum sentences ordained by legislation.
But Judge Massepa fired back in defensive for sentencing, explaining
that she had given Oscar Pistorius a six year sentence
(29:58):
because mitigating circumstances such as rehabilitation and remorse had outweighed
aggravating factors such as his failure to fire a warning shot.
The BBC reported the JUDGEMENTSIPA further stated that public opinion
may be loud and persistent, but it can play no
role in the decision of this court. In South African
(30:20):
legal circles, however, there was a growing cry to write
the perceived wrong against Revasteine Camp and her surviving family.
On November twenty fourth, twenty seventeen, South Africa's Supreme Court
of Appeal unanimously upheld the prosecutor's appeal against Oscar Pistorius
his six year sentence for the murder of Revasteine Camp.
(30:42):
Supreme Court Justice Willie Serreedi announced that the sentence of
six years imprisonment is shockingly lenient, to a point where
it is the effect of trivializing this serious offense. Oscar's
sentence was instantly doubled to thirteen years and five months.
Under South African law, all offenders are entitled to be
(31:03):
considered for parole once they have served half their total sentence.
Oscar Pistorius would now be eligible for parole in twenty
twenty three instead of twenty nineteen. Among Oscar's visitors in
prison were Barry and June's Steam Camp. Despite Oscar's increased
prison sentence, Reva's parents could not find peace. They needed
(31:27):
the conversation that Barry had told the BBC he'd wanted
back in twenty fourteen. They had to hear the truth
directly from Oscar about their daughter's final moments. However, their
sit down with Oscar in June twenty twenty two did
not feel productive to the grief stricken Steam Camps. Barry
told Good Morning Britain that all June and I wanted
(31:49):
to know from Oscar was the truth. What we feel
was the truth that he actually killed her because of anger.
June and Barry turned their personal tragedy and lack of
closure into something positive for society by forming the Reva
Rebecca Steenkamp Foundation to educate and empower victims of violence
and abuse. But even as they poured their energy into
(32:12):
the foundation, refocusing attention on their daughter's life, Barry's health deteriorated.
On September fourteenth, twenty twenty three, less than a month
after he planned the commemorative fortieth birthday of Riva, Barry
passed away unexpectedly in his sleep. The Steenkamp family's lawyer
and spokesperson, Tanya Kuhn, told News twenty three that June
(32:35):
and the rest of the family are in a state
of shock because they did not expect this at all.
Barry's health had always been a problem, but there was
no illness when he died. He was very emotional over
Reva's death and so loyal. Barry could just never get
over Reva's death. As June Steencamp grappled with the loss
(32:55):
of her beloved husband a decade after the murder of
her daughter, Oscar pistoria Is prepared himself for parole. After
serving nearly eight years of his thirteen year and five
month sentence, Oscar Pistorius was released from prison on January fifth,
twenty twenty four. His release was met with mixed reactions
mirroring the divided public opinion that dogged the case from
(33:17):
the beginning. Some saw his release as a second chance
for a man who had paid his debt to society,
while others viewed it as another reminder of the pain,
tragedy and injustice of Rev. Esteemcamp's death. Since his release,
Oscar has faced the daunting task of reintegrating into society.
(33:40):
It hasn't been easy. According to The New York Post,
He's been ostracized by his former pals, and while Oscar
has reached out to at least two members of the
International Paralympic Committee asking if they could work together in
any capacity, he was quickly rebuffed. One of the committee members,
who received a message from Oscar explained, he's too toxic
(34:02):
to work with now. There's nothing for him here. Perhaps
this is why Oscar has turned his immediate focus to
religion and charitable work. According to his parole paperwork, Oscar
has listed his volunteer work at n G kirk Waterklouf,
the Dutch Reformed church which is attended by his uncle
Arnold Pastorius. Oscar does light maintenance and janitorial work for
(34:26):
the church, and he quietly attends services that New York
Post reported, of course, it's unlikely that Oscar will be
quietly doing anything after his media ban is lifted. In
twenty twenty nine, the BBC speculated that Oscar's fame means
he will find a platform, and the renewed presence of
Oscar on the world stage will be unwelcomed to June Steamcamp,
(34:47):
who continues to push herself forward against all the odds
in honor of her daughter. My only desire is that
I will be allowed to live my last years in peace,
with my focus remaining on the Viva Rebecca Steamcamp Foundation
to continue Reva's legacy. June Steamcamp told the BBC, as
(35:07):
we reflect on the story of Oscar Pastorius, the Blade Runner,
we're reminded of the duality of the human spirit, the
capacity for both greatness and profound depravity. Oscar's story is
also forever intertwined with Reva Steamcamp, whose life was cut
tragically short, but whose legacy continues through her family's foundation.
(35:30):
For more information, please visit Reva Steamcampfoundation dot org. That's
r e E v A s t e e n
KA MP Foundation dot o RG. June Stemcamp's efforts to
empower women is a true testament to Reva's memory, while
(35:53):
this scandal is Oscar Pistorius's The inspirational story of the
Steamcamp family strength despite immeasurable grief belongs to Reva. I'm
Jay Harris and this has been Playing Dirty Sports Scandals.
Join me next week for another gripping story from the
world of sports, where triumph and scandal are often served blended.
(36:27):
Playing Dirty Sports Scandals is a production of Dan Patrick Productions,
Never Ever Productions and Workhouse Media from executive producers Dan Patrick,
Paul Anderson, Nick Panela, Maya Glickman, and Jennifer Claring. Hosted
by Jay Harris, Written and produced by Jen Brown, Francie Haiks,
Maya Glickman, and Jennifer Clare.
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