South Africa to appeal ‘shockingly lenient’ Pistorius sentence

JOHANNESBURG, (Reuters) – South Africa’s government will appeal Oscar Pistorius’ six-year murder sentence because it was “shockingly lenient”, state prosecutors said yesterday.

The Paralympic gold medallist was sentenced in July for murdering his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, in 2013. At the time, some legal experts described the prison term as lenient.

“The sentence of six years imprisonment, in all the circumstances, is disproportionate to the crime of murder committed, that is to say, shockingly too lenient,” the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said.

“(The sentence) resulted in an injustice and has the potential to bring the administration of justice into disrepute.”