Are The Famous Above The Law?
Wow! Oscar Pistorius is going home in August after serving only 10 months of a five-year sentence for killing his girlfriend. Granted, he will be under house arrest for a while, but this must be a bucket of cold water in the faces of the late Reeva Steenkamp’s family. And what kind of message does it transmit to other killers yet to come.
It is no wonder that we had 17,068 murders committed last year. That is 5 times above the global norm. Why worry about the consequences if you know that you will be out again before long.
But if the prosecution wins their appeal against the judgment, Pistorius will find himself back behind bars for another 15 years. This was a very controversial case and chances are that the culpable homicide verdict can become a verdict of murder. Why release him now, why not wait for the appeal?
Comments (33)
Seems so Pal.
ten months into a ten year sentence
Does he have a lot of money left ?
I don't know. His family are not out of the ordinary, I think no better connected than most other. It must be fame working but I suspect his goose will be cooked after the appeal.
This must be seen in the context of the murder rate in our country. In 2014 a total of 17,086 murders were committed in South-Africa and it has not improved in any way. Apparently Interpol disputes the figure. They say hospital records show a much higher figure.
We have a problem. Our jails are too full. We cannot accommodate all the scoundrels. So they are sent home to make place for the new ones.
the legless, the blind and insane...
There was a time when we could get convicts to work in our garden but that changed a long time ago. We had to pay them a certain minimum wage but it was to be paid over to the prison authorities. I wonder if the inmates actually got to see any of that money.
My favorite example is Barry Sadler. Green Beret soldier, writer, composer and singer of the Ballad Of The Green Beret (and later some other songs and he also became the author of the then popular Casca book series (about the soldier who speared Jesus on the Cross and was cursed by Jesus with life until they met again), and also an SOF war correspondent during the El Salvador/Nicaragua days), which was a very, very, popular song in the US during the Vietnam Conflict. A few years after the Vietnam Conflict ended he killed a man in a bar fight and went on trial for murder. The Judge, after realizing who was in front of him, and a great fan if his to boot, found him guilty of Murder and issued a sentence of 21 days and when that was done Mr. Sadler was set free to go on with his life.
You have just described the accused, the prosecutor, and the judge.
It is disgusting. As Lindsy commented, Justice should be blind.
At least your guy was charged and did some time. Our super rich don't even get charged in the first place.
I can understand a guy coming out for good behavior after serving say 75% of his sentence but this is outrageous. But, was it my brother, I may have felt somewhat different.
It was on the news here and the time he got in the first place was a joke. This is a slap in everyone's face.
So it seems that it is a matter of who kills who. I suppose if one famous person kills another famous person the it will be the most famous whose interests will be looked after.
It was a joke. But the prosecution waas not satisfied. Their appeal may just succeed. Who knows?
If a person deliberately kills another person whilst fighting for a cause it is called patriotic and the perpetrator is given a medal.
Yep, one of the paradoxes of life. And the losers go on trial for crimes against humanity while the victors go home as heroes.
My answer is ...
"Not only the famous but ... as well are above the law."
Apparently! They do......
If Not! Then Prove It To Me.
BTW! I do agree with Sands and NonSmokie...
Our government makes us look very funny overseas.
I'm so sorry! To here that....
But! You do know that's in many countries. Right?
What happens at many other places does not really bother me, but when it gets this close to home, I want to run for the hills.
So! Stop being selfish...
It was only yesterday you wanted to RUN FOR the Presidency of SA. Now you want to RUN FOR the hills too?
Pssst! isn't my English getting better?
Isn't it obvious? In the word "wait" there is a precious time. In this case, so he can use it at home instead of in jail. No?
Selfish? How is that?
He will probably run for the hills before they can put him back where he belongs. He killed somebody. His story was so hollow, it ain't funny at all.
What he achieved in a lifetime of overcoming disability was inspirational. And not long before that he had been a uniting symbol for all of South Africa - our pride in him was immense, and for a legless man to compete with able-bodied men in the Olympics was just incredible. He was a world symbol for overcoming adversity.
He flushed his life down the toilet but until that night it had been a life that gave a lot of people hope and motivation.
Because you're not concern about other's. Just when it happens to you/country....
What about us? Nooooo! Just me, me, me...
It is not for me to point fingers at other countries and how they do things. They must run their own countries. When they cry out, I will sympathize with them but they have to tidy their own houses. However, when it happens here, I will speak my mind.
I'm not convinced that he did it in a rage or in a panic. He had enough time to think about it. And moreover, the door was closed. He was not in any immediate danger.
A story like this has many facets and angles. His family wants him out, her family wants him inside and somehow, the most important aspect (justice) is forgotten. We will never know what really happened that night. We only have his story. The only other witness is dead. But we can add two and to together.