Salon.com > reeva steenkamp

Oscar Pistorius: A rolling timeline

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 17:00:00 +0000

Sept. 13, 2009: Oscar Pistorius is arrested for assault in Johannesburg and spends a night in prison. He was first arrested for assault after slamming a door in a woman’s face, but the police later changed their charge to common assault. According to Reuters, the charges were eventually dropped.

Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2013: Reeva Steenkamp, the South African model and girlfriend of Oscar Pistorius, tweets her excitement for Valentine's Day. She also retweets her support for an end to rape and violence against women, a fact many commented on, given the tragic circumstances of her death in the early hours of the next morning:

What do you have up your sleeve for your love tomorrow??? #getexcited #ValentinesDay

— Reeva Steenkamp (@reevasteenkamp) February 13, 2013

Was an accused perp in the Indian fatal gang rape case murdered?

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 16:11:00 +0000

He was the central suspect in a crime that shocked the world. On Monday, Indian officials announced Ram Singh, the bus driver accused of participating in the brutal beating and gang rape that led to the death of a 23-year-old Delhi woman last December, had been found hanged in his cell at Tihar Jail. Police are calling it a suicide. His family and lawyer are calling it suspicious. And Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde has shrugged it off as a "lapse in security."

Six males — including one juvenile — have been accused of the horrific attack on the female bus passenger, who was thrown from the bus and died from internal injuries several days later. The crime brought global attention to the pervasiveness of sexual violence in India, and just this past Friday, the victim was posthumously given the International Women of Courage award for speaking out against her attackers even as she lay dying.

Pistorius legal team appeals bail conditions

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 12:42:00 +0000

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Lawyers for Oscar Pistorius have filed an appeal in a South African court against bail restrictions imposed on the Olympian, who is charged with murdering his girlfriend, according to papers released by the Pistorius family on Monday.

"The conditions appealed against are unwarranted and not substantiated by the facts," said the appeal, which was filed Friday in Pretoria, the South African capital.

The appeal reflected the robust defense strategy of lawyers for Pistorius, who has been staying at his uncle Arnold's home in a Pretoria suburb since he was released on bail on Feb. 22.

It is a delicate balance because the Pistorius family has also sought to keep a low profile, expressing sorrow for the death of Reeva Steenkamp on Feb. 14. Pistorius says he mistakenly shot Steenkamp, thinking she was an intruder in his home. Prosecutors believe he killed her intentionally after an argument.

The Associated Press received a copy of the court papers by email from representatives of the Pistorius family. The appeal was prepared by Ramsay Webber, a legal firm based in Johannesburg.

Former lead detective on Oscar Pistorius case resigns

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 16:40:00 +0000

Warrant Officer Hilton Botha, a former lead detective on the Oscar Pistorius murder case, has resigned from the police force. Botha had 24 years of experience as a detective.

Botha, who was the first officer on the scene of the shooting at Pistorius' home that left Reeva Steenkamp dead, came under fire for getting crucial facts wrong at the athlete's bail hearing and again when it was publicized that he faced attempted murder charges for a 2011 case in which he fired at a vehicle.

"He handed in his resignation yesterday and it was accepted with immediate effect," said police spokesman Brigadier Neville Malila. "We are not going into the details."

Reeva Steenkamp was more than a sexy bikini model

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 16:53:00 +0000

It's been three weeks since Reeva Steenkamp was shot and killed by her Olympian boyfriend Oscar Pistorius. So why has it taken this long for the reporting on the case to start looking at Steenkamp as a person?

A New York Times feature on Tuesday and a new Time magazine story both delve more deeply into the story of the 29-year-old whose life ended in a Pretoria bathroom on Valentine's Day, and the troubling epidemic of violence in South Africa that may have contributed to her death. The stories are both in their own ways haunting portraits of a nation that cultivates brutality and a woman who found herself the victim of it. And they're a bracingly far cry from the revolting glut of sexy swimsuit shots and attempted witticisms that dominated the news coverage of the case in its early days.

Oscar Pistorius is granted bail

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 15:01:00 +0000

UPDATED: Feb. 22 at 10:01am

Oscar Pistorius will be freed from custody pending his trial in the Feb. 14 shooting death of Reeva Steenkamp, and magistrate Desmond Nair has set bail at 1 million rand (approximately $112,771 USD).

Pistorius will be released until his next court appearance on June 4. As a condition of his bail, he must surrender his passport and all travel documents. He will also be forced to turn in all of his weapons and firearms, and is prohibited from purchasing or owning additional firearms.

He will report to a probation and correctional officer upon his release and until the case concludes.

Nair said Pistorius' sworn statement about the events of the morning of the fatal shooting -- in which the athlete says he shot Steenkamp "accidentally," because he believed she was an intruder -- had been a consideration and helped his application for bail.

Pistorius shot and killed Steenkamp. He has been charged with premeditated murder.

UPDATED: Feb. 22 at 9:31am

Oscar Pistorius will be freed from custody pending his trial in the Feb. 14 shooting death of Reeva Steenkamp.

Oscar Pistorius documentary on its way

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 15:15:00 +0000

As the saga of Paralympian Oscar Pistorius continues to unfold, it seems inevitable that a media outlet would move to relay the tragic story of the disgraced athlete, accused of murdering his girlfiend on Valentine's Day, on film. Moving quickly (and perhaps boldly), BBC Three has commissioned an hour-long "fast-turnaround" documentary detailing the death of South African model Reeva Steenkamp and subsequent murder trial of the fallen Olympian, reports the Hollywood Reporter.

"BBC Three is never afraid to tackle current affairs, and we are committed to showing bold, thought-provoking programs for 16-34-year olds," said BBC Three controller Zai Bennett. The production company, Mentorn Media, "will be producing this program at incredible speed."

A broadcast date has not yet been set, but executive producer Steve Anderson emphasized the speed as well, saying, "The story of Oscar Pistorius and Reeva Steenkamp has captured everyone’s attention. It is hugely important, and Mentorn has the expertise to deliver it quickly to BBC Three.”

Detective in Pistorius case faces prior attempted murder charges

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 13:44:00 +0000

PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) — Prosecutors reinstated attempted murder charges against a policeman leading the murder investigation into world-famous athlete Oscar Pistorius, in the latest twist in a case that has captivated South Africa and threatens to bring down a national idol.

The announcement that detective Hilton Botha faces reinstated charges in connection with a 2011 shooting incident came a day after he testified for the prosecution in Pistorius' bail hearing, and by all accounts bungled his appearance. He acknowledged Wednesday that nothing in Pistorius' account of the fatal Valentine's Day shooting of his girlfriend contradicted what police had discovered.

The spokeswoman for the nation's prosecutors urged that Botha be removed from the Pistorius case.

Pistorius, an Olympian whose lower legs were amputated when he was less than a year old, claims he mistook girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp for an intruder when he shot her in a locked bathroom in his home.

Detective in Pistorius trial: “I believe he knew that Reeva was in the bathroom”

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 14:53:00 +0000

Testifying at Oscar Pistorius' bail hearing Wednesday, police detective warrant officer Hilton Botha said that, despite Pistorius' sworn affidavit maintaining his innocence, he believes "that [Pistorius] knew that Reeva [Steenkamp] was in the bathroom and he shot four shots through the door," killing Steenkamp.

Botha, who was the first officer at the scene, also said another witness had testified to hearing screams and gunshots from the house in the early morning hours of Feb. 14.

"We have the statement of a person who said after he heard gunshots, he went to his balcony and saw the light was on. Then he heard a female screaming two-three times, then more gunshots," he told the court.

Botha also testified that the trajectory of the bullets indicates a standing height position, challenging the defense's claim that Pistorius had approached the bathroom unaided by his prosthetic legs, making him "feel vulnerable."

Officers also found testosterone and needles when investigating the crime scene, but Pistorius' lawyers say the substance is an herbal supplement.

Can South Africa fight gender-based violence?

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 16:44:00 +0000

A number of recent articles have suggested that February 2013 will go down in history as the month when South Africa finally began an earnest fight against epidemic intimate partner and gender-based violence. Femicide is no rare occurrence in the country, but in the last three weeks two particularly brutal, high-profile murders have captured media attention and galvanized activists.

The two late victims, Reeva Steenkamp and Anene Booysen, represent two very different parts of South African society: Steenkamp was a white model and law school graduate famously attached to a beloved Olympic athlete; 17-year-old Booysen was black, and few had heard her name while she was still alive.

Pistorius charged with premeditated murder

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Chief magistrate Desmond Nair ruled on Tuesday that Oscar Pistorius would be charged with the premeditated murder of Reeva Steenkamp, making it unlikely that the former Olympian will be granted bail.

Prosecutors allege that on the morning of the fatal shooting, as Steenkamp hid behind a locked bathroom door, Pistorius took the time to put on his prosthetic legs, locate his gun and walk the twenty feet to the bathroom before firing four bullets through the door, three of which fatally struck and killed Steenkamp.

But a tearful Pistorius denied the charges.

“I fail to understand how I could be charged with murder, let alone premeditated, ” he said in an affidavit read to the courtroom, “I had no intention to kill my girlfriend.”

“We were deeply in love and I could not be happier. I know she felt the same way,” he added.

Agent cancels all future races for Pistorius

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 21:16:00 +0000

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Oscar Pistorius' track career was put on hold indefinitely Sunday as his agent canceled all future races so the double-amputee Olympian can focus on defending himself against his murder charge.

After visiting Pistorius at the police station he is being held at, agent Peet van Zyl said in a statement there is "no option but to cancel all future races that Oscar Pistorius had been contracted to compete in to allow Oscar to concentrate on the upcoming legal proceedings."

Pistorius was arrested and charged with the Valentine's Day murder of model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, who was shot multiple times at Pistorius' upscale Pretoria home in the early hours of Thursday.

Pistorius has been held since Friday at the Brooklyn police station in the South African capital, where Van Zyl visited Sunday along with memebers of Pistorius' family and his legal team.

"The nature of my visit today was two-fold," Van Zyl said. "On a personal level I wanted to offer my support to Oscar, who I have known and worked with for the last seven years and consider a friend and a great professional athlete.

"Secondly, I wanted to briefly discuss racing matters, given that his key focus is defending himself against this serious charge."

Funeral for Reeva Steenkamp will be held on Tuesday

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 15:15:00 +0000

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The family of Reeva Steenkamp says her body is back in her hometown of Port Elizabeth and a private funeral has been planned for Tuesday.

Adam Steenkamp, the late model and law graduate's brother, says "Reeva is back home."

The family said Sunday that Steenkamp, who was shot dead inside boyfriend Oscar Pistorius' house early Thursday, will be cremated in a ceremony closed to the public and the media in the city on South Africa's southern coast.

Pistorius was charged with her murder and is expected to make a court appearance on Tuesday for his bail hearing.

The 29-year-old Reeva was seen laughing and smiling on South African television Saturday night after national broadcaster SABC chose to air the first episode of a reality TV show she featured in.

Oscar Pistorius bail hearing delayed until Tuesday

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 14:05:00 +0000

Athlete Oscar Pistorius, known around the world as the "Blade Runner" for becoming the first double-amputee to compete in the Olympics, shocked the world yesterday when he was charged for the murder of his girlfriend, South African model Reeva Steenkamp, who died at his home early morning on Valentine's Day. But a Pretoria judge has delayed Pistorius' bail hearing, originally scheduled for Friday, to Tuesday as the troubled athlete repeatedly lost his composure in court.

Reports the Guardian:

The South African athlete...repeatedly pressed his fingers to his eyes and looked down, sobbing and shaking, in an hour-long hearing in a packed courtroom in Pretoria.

The magistrate delayed Pistorius's bail hearing until Tuesday and ruled that the 26-year-old would be held at a Pretoria police station until then, despite a likely perception of "preferential treatment", since it would be more common for the accused to be detained in prison.