State to appeal Oscar Pistorious' "too lenient" jail sentence

In a surprising turn of events, the South Africa’s National Prosecuting authority says it will appeal Oscar Pistorious ‘too lenient’sentence for murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

On July 6, Judge Thokozile Masipa of the Pretoria High Court sentenced Pistorious to six years.

Judge Masipa said she believed there were “substantial and compelling” reasons why the athlete should not be handed the 15-year minimum sentence for murder, including his obvious remorse and the fact he believed Steenkamp was an intruder.

Steenkamp’s since the sentencing have not said anything about appealing the the sentence but in response to the NPA’s decisIon, they said tHey had hat the couple had no input on the decision by the state to appeal and were focusing their energy on the upcoming media launch of The Reeva Rebecca Steenkamp Foundation.

In a statement the NPA says the ruling is an injustice and has the potential to bring the administration of justice into disrepute”.

Papers on are expected to be filed to the courts on Thursday.

Agencies