00:00:05
in count one the accused is charged with premeditated murder in respect of this charge the evidence is purely
00:00:12
circumstantial in his own country he is a superstar like no other he was the god that
00:00:20
defeated all the odds when he ran he set the truck on fire he wasn't just running
00:00:25
to run he was running to win [Music] the stunning murder case against the Blade Runner he was charged Thursday
00:00:32
with murdering his girlfriend it's a case that's riveted the world the Blade Runner the fastest man on no legs
00:00:45
charged with killing his girlfriend you referred to this incident of this occurrence as an accident is that good
00:00:54
that's correct wherever you go you see it it's you can't miss it people are glued to this trial
00:01:02
here you have this Olympic hero and this beautiful graceful woman hi he said to me that Uncle Mark I loved
00:01:14
her and when he said it he burst into tears you fight at River I did not find a dreamer this is Oscar pistorius's
00:01:27
bathroom where he shot and killed ristian come Oscar is not a cold-blooded murder I am
00:01:34
of the view that the accused acted too hastily and use excessive force I don't know what triggered somebody to do that
00:01:40
it's hard for me to speak of it but to me there's no excuse for at all zero he put me through hell
00:01:47
he was verbally abusive very emotionally abusive the people that I think are at greatest risk to snap are those
00:01:55
full-blown narcissists the ones that are so full of themselves victim on numerous occasions to go for
00:02:01
counseling and he just never did the unanimous decision of this court is the following on count one the accused is
00:02:09
found not guilty instead he is found guilty of culpable homicide failed in the world as a Triumph of
00:02:20
South African Justice finally it was over the trial that captivated the world the triumphant
00:02:34
athlete a hero who always seemed to beat the odds yet this challenge was even greater as Oscar Pistorius stood accused
00:02:42
of murder Mr pisorius please stand up in the packed Pretoria courtroom of Judge tokuzina masipa the Blade Runner
00:02:51
confronted his faith guilty of culpable homicide in layman's terms manslaughter according to the judge Oscar Pistorius
00:03:01
did not intentionally kill Riva steenkamp but acted negligently in firing four shots through his bathroom
00:03:08
door riva's parents June and Barry steenkamp seemed stunned her friends wept Pistorius who had sobbed like a
00:03:16
child throughout the trial now silent and stoic the reduced guilty verdict washed over
00:03:24
the crowd Pistorius made his way through it Center Stage in The Saga that has become a nation's real-life soap opera
00:03:32
it's a big burden of us of our shoulders and Oscar Oscar's Uncle Arnold gave the
00:03:38
family's initial reaction we would really like to show our deep grateful we are for judge masepa
00:03:48
that is found Oscar not guilty of murder it won't bring River back but our host will go out for her family and friends
00:03:57
riva's mother spoke out to an American television network shocked disappointed you know your heart drops because you
00:04:06
you just want the truth and you know and it's it's going in the wrong direction that's how you feel throughout the tense
00:04:13
two-day verdict process the stories was emotional seemed overwhelmed shattered the accused was a very poor witness an
00:04:23
evasive witness the accused it what became clear judge masepa found Oscar's version of events more plausible than
00:04:31
that presented by the prosecution the accused was clearly not candid with a court when he said that he had no
00:04:39
intention to shoot at anyone as he had a loaded firearm in his hand the state clearly has not proved Beyond
00:04:47
reasonable doubt that the accused is guilty of premeditated murder the countdown to Justice was long and
00:04:57
deliberate Rivas doesn't have a life anymore because of what you've done she's not
00:05:02
alive anymore Stories the fabled Blade Runner Oscar Pistorius is going to win it his
00:05:08
athletic achievements captivated Millions stood accused of murdering his beautiful girlfriend a woman with a
00:05:15
talent and Poise to match her dreams hi my name is Riva rivastienkamp a model and reality TV star shot dead on
00:05:23
Valentine's Day 2013. four shots through the bathroom door of Oscar pastorius's bedroom
00:05:31
I did not find a dreamer trial Pistorius came undone the story doesn't answer the question of
00:05:45
why as prosecutor Harry now nicknamed the Bulldog proved Relentless his intention when he fired those shots
00:05:52
was to kill a human being Nell hammered home his version of events this was not an act of panic it was murder he was
00:06:01
fixated on this anxiety and his vulnerability on this Intruder he was fixated on that vulnerable in the dead
00:06:08
of night without his prosthetic legs his version is consistent that's how defense
00:06:13
attorney Barry Roo described Pastorius convinced a stranger was in his home The Olympian panicked
00:06:20
the trial has been all-consuming for everybody in South Africa South African talk show host Jen Soo is a friend of
00:06:28
Pistorius she found the idea Oscar was a killer unimaginable it's difficult because I'm with friends and they
00:06:37
strongly disagree with me she wasn't alone day after day as he attended Court in Pretoria it was evident for many 27
00:06:46
year old Oscar Pistorius remained a National Treasure a hero and inspiration [Applause]
00:06:54
when this Marathon ended Pistorius was just one of 37 Witnesses but it was the Olympian who Harry Nell took to the mat
00:07:04
I don't have to look at a picture I was there you killed a person that's what you did isn't it I made a mistake you
00:07:10
killed Riva stankom that's what you did it would fall to veteran judge masepa to
00:07:23
navigate through it all in the South African system she is both judge and jury a child of apartheid judge masepa became
00:07:33
a social worker then crime reporter a lawyer and an art judge in this the high court
00:07:40
late in the trial an extraordinary development testimony was stopped cold a proper inquiry as the prosecution
00:07:47
requested a psychological evaluation of Pistorius if ruled mentally incompetent the trial would have been over forensic
00:07:56
psychiatrist Alexander Sasha bardet monitored the case the results of the examination indicated that Oscar
00:08:02
Pistorius was not suffering from a mental illness or disease game on as the trial and the drama
00:08:10
heightened pressure built the Superstar who had seemed indestructible seemed ready to explode out on bail he'd get
00:08:19
into a shoving match at a Johannesburg nightclub Oscar's supporters worried the man who
00:08:25
was such a force of life might attempt suicide you know exactly you're fired at River
00:08:34
talented beautiful and only 29 years old I think the way that you go out it's so
00:08:41
important you either made an impact in a positive way or a negative way but just
00:08:45
maintain integrity and maintain class and just always be true to yourself and I'm gonna miss you all so much
00:08:54
and I love you very very much with today's extraordinary verdict reaction was Swift and passionate
00:09:02
I'm completely astounded disbelief why because it is so different from what I thought would be an open and shut issue
00:09:11
how did you feel emotionally to ask as your friend well from that point of view I was
00:09:17
relieved for Oscar I think this was definitely a best case scenario for Oscar late today new photos
00:09:26
were released Oscar the Knight of the crime stunned and bloody the verdict is in Oscar remains out on
00:09:37
bail until sentencing which will come in about a month the legal battle is far from over
00:09:50
he was very controlling it was definitely emotional total manipulation it was very abusive
00:09:57
you have a great feeling of invincibility that you can basically do anything you want and you're going to
00:10:04
get away with it thank you hi I'm Oscar stay tonight he needed a date to the last minute so it's like
00:10:20
either just throw yourself together and come and be my dad Riva steenkamp and Oscar Pistorius seemed like the kind of
00:10:28
couple dreams are made of people saw them and thought wow they're both so attractive Mark seal of Vanity Fair
00:10:36
magazine and a 48 Hours consultant has written about the trial of Oscar Pistorius that is captivating the world
00:10:44
they were like stars and it was the story of a man who overcame incredible disability
00:10:55
and then met an incredibly talented beautiful woman fell in love and then tragedy struck
00:11:03
the tragedy runs so deep because Oscar Pistorius ran against the wind from his birth in 1986 Ran So Fast came so far
00:11:15
born without fibular bones when I was 11 months old I had both my legs and settings and then when I was 13 months I
00:11:22
got my first pair of walking legs his walking legs would soon take Oscar around the world but the inspiration
00:11:30
started with his mother Sheila who set the tone that allowed her child to become a champion
00:11:36
years later he shared the memory with Jay Leno my mother just said to me in the morning so ask her you put on your
00:11:43
prosthetic legs the last I want to hear about it you know there's no disability in our family his mother told him that
00:11:49
the real loser is not the one who crosses the Finish Line last the real loser is the one who sits on the side
00:11:56
and doesn't try to compete she became ill and she passed on suddenly with his mother gone and estranged from his dad
00:12:04
fifteen-year-old Oscar turned to Mike azzy as a father figure he's always been a wonderful boy to Oscar he's Uncle Mike
00:12:12
there's never been a conversation that's ever ended without one of the parties saying I love you nearly 9 000 miles
00:12:20
away from South Africa here in Fort Smith Arkansas we found a man who knew Oscar Pistorius before he became an
00:12:29
international icon he was around 14 years old and he was jumping over hurdles I was like why would you do that
00:12:35
and he was just there's no why not Francois vanderwat back then living in South Africa since the determined boy
00:12:45
needed better than his battered legs he was wearing what we call exoskeletal Prosthetics which is pretty much wooden
00:12:53
Prosthetics and pretty primitive they're very primitive together Francois and Oscar decided to give Oscar the legs to
00:13:01
match his heart the wings he needed to fly they called them blades he wanted to be fast he wanted to be a runner
00:13:11
Oscar Pistorius took off God had a plan a new game in these legs I don't see myself as disabled the Blade
00:13:20
Runner was born the world had never seen anything like it he became half man half
00:13:27
machined with the Gate of a cat and was able to run on these blades and not only
00:13:32
run but to win Pistorius would win races around the world and became an iconic symbol to his
00:13:40
country and to the disabled Community everywhere he set the truck on fire it was the most amazing thing Sam Calo
00:13:50
radebe Who Lost His Hands in an electrical accident was Oscar's teammate so he was never a star in the team but
00:13:58
he was always just one of us he's just one of the teammates at London 2012. Oscar Pistorius wins it for South Africa
00:14:07
marked achievements like no other this was history that's it yeah Oscar and Sam Calo competed in the para
00:14:16
Olympics for the disabled and one gold all of us were hugging there was also a very different type of
00:14:25
Victory a legal one this day is going to go down in history for the for the equality of of disabled people the
00:14:32
little boy with no legs won the right to compete in the Olympic Games Against the
00:14:37
best able-bodied athletes in the world while he didn't win an Olympic medal the world crowned Oscar Pistorius 100
00:14:46
Champion just being able to come out here and represent my country has been very very humbling for me
00:14:53
but in the swirl of international attention staying humble was a challenge for Oscar Pistorius Superstar well
00:15:01
congratulations on the Olympics that's pretty amazing some said I would never walk
00:15:09
I said bring it on it's everywhere you look this is Mantra they just businesses there was Oscar Oscar Oscar Oscar
00:15:20
hi my name is Riva and I'm a container beautiful and smart model and aspiring actress Riva steam cap
00:15:28
was part of the celebrity Society Oscar had run his way right into thank you and
00:15:35
everybody just said wow you know who is that who is that woman modeling was now leading and we were in Jamaica this year
00:15:43
to a reality TV show Riva modeled from age 14 but she would also study law ambitious compassionate politically
00:15:54
aware she and her mother were long-time Advocates of women suffering violence and domestic abuse just four days before
00:16:03
she was shot dead Riva was tweeting speak out against rape in South Africa hashtag rape crime say no she is the
00:16:14
most amazing human being Gina Myers and Riva became roommates and best friends everything about her her belief system
00:16:23
her the Integrity she had she was a rising star of tremendous magnitude just like Oscar Pistorius Oscars are very
00:16:33
very sexy boy it would didn't take long for the two supernovas to find each other he doesn't do it in like an
00:16:40
arrogant obnoxious way so gentleman he was definitely in love but where some saw a magical couple
00:16:48
others saw an Oscar Pistorius Changed by Fame people said he went from The Humble
00:16:55
friendly lovable Oscar to Oscar the Invincible fear was always still the same Oscar that I knew him the first
00:17:03
time I made him for one crucial thing Oscar was now afraid not of the competition on the track but
00:17:13
of the crime celebrity can attract and when I visited him and stayed at his house and he turns on the alarm system
00:17:20
and he tells me I'm sleeping with my nine millimeter next to my bed with his gun no if he's gone yes two weeks before
00:17:28
Oscar Pistorius shot Riva steenkamp to death the glittering couple had dinner with their good friend Jen Sue we had a
00:17:37
great great night Oscar was just different with Riva Riva was for Keeps Oscar Pistorius The Golden Boy always
00:17:51
had a woman on his arm just before Riva it was Samantha Taylor with a look that was strikingly similar
00:17:58
she's just really laid back and she understands some of the demands that I have and it makes my life a lot easier
00:18:06
spending time with someone Sam was only 17 when they met Oscar 24 life was instantly glamorous a reality show
00:18:15
photographers for two years Sam and Oscar were an item not 20 Samantha and her mother Trish
00:18:23
Taylor sat down to tell us what life was like with Oscar Pistorius they met at a
00:18:28
rugby match our relationship happened quite fast he was very charming and respectful how did
00:18:36
you feel about this Trish I mean in a way her first big love really yeah I was happy with it they were happy together
00:18:42
and he would come to our place quite often we had some really fun times with Oscar we had some great great times with
00:18:49
him we loved each other so much they treated her well he treated her with respect but life with Oscars soon
00:18:57
became complicated I started noticing within about three months of our relationship he got very agitated
00:19:05
quickly what city move a lot of things a lot of things that usually wouldn't set
00:19:12
someone or if we thought about something that I was wearing I would have to go change he was very controlling he always
00:19:23
wanted to know where I was who I was with if he didn't believe me he would phone my family and if she was somewhere
00:19:31
where he didn't want her to be then all hell broke loose he would ask me to send
00:19:37
photos of what I'm wearing he would think I'm out partying so I'd have to send him a photo it was definitely
00:19:45
emotional total manipulation it was very abusive did you advise her to leave him
00:19:51
and I didn't I didn't want to be the one to say this has got to end forever because
00:19:59
does it ever end forever if a mother does that another issue for Trish was Oscar's
00:20:06
preoccupation with guns I hated the guns I don't like guns he definitely had an obsession with guns so he was always at
00:20:13
the shooting range always with his boys either racing cars or shooting I think his time went on we became used to the
00:20:23
gun which was crazy there were two times where I did hide his gun from him because I did feel very feared she was
00:20:34
kind of like where's my gun I need my gun I can't go to bed without the gun and I just thought you know if there's a
00:20:40
gun around anything can go wrong so I just prevented it as much as I could Sam was a witness for the prosecution at
00:20:47
Oscar's murder trial she testified about his recklessness with guns describing one incident when Oscar and a friend
00:20:54
were pulled over for speeding then minutes after they drove away Oscar got very angry about two minutes after I saw
00:21:02
Oscar take his gun and shoot out of the car roof but the day that it actually happened Sam told her mom about the
00:21:10
incident nobody said a word I think I was living in fear because we thought at that stage that Oscar was
00:21:18
like the Golden Boy so even though we could have spoken out about him I think that we
00:21:24
would have come out as these ridiculous people trying to cause trouble and I don't think anyone would
00:21:29
have taken note of it by the summer of 2012 with Oscar's historic race against able-bodied Olympians looming the
00:21:36
pressure mounted Oscar leaned more and more on Trish for support I mean he started phoning me and crying on the
00:21:42
phone and sometimes it was daily did you suggest he goes and seeks has therapy yeah a lot of times I begged him on
00:21:50
numerous occasions to go for counseling and he always promised to and he just never did what did he need
00:21:59
help for his behavior he was in his past his everything you know he had I don't think
00:22:06
he ever came to terms of losing his mom I think it was a huge thing in his life I think he was in so many ways a little
00:22:12
boy that needed to be cared for and he had never grown out of that and in other ways
00:22:18
he could conquer the world just before Oscar was to leave for the Olympic Games in London he made a
00:22:25
stunning call to Trish he didn't want to go the day he was meant to fly he fired
00:22:30
me and he said I'm not going to the Olympics and then he was just sobbing and sobbing and sobbing he was quite
00:22:36
toddler very childlike very very childlike yeah why did you stay with him for so long I
00:22:44
think beyond our imperfections and our fights and arguments we loved each other so much
00:22:52
Sam rode the highs and lows with Oscar until they were acts of betrayal she could not forgive
00:22:58
first with the Glamorous Russian model Anastasia causisova he needed a date at the last minute and then one evening Sam
00:23:05
looked up at the TV and saw Oscar with Riva steenkamp I was heartbroken definitely I mean you sorting out your
00:23:13
relationship with someone and he's on screen with another lady and from them we just never contacted
00:23:22
each other again [Music] what were your thoughts when Riverstone Camp was shot and killed as devastated
00:23:32
before I knew thought did you believe his story that he shot her thinking she was an intruder it's so difficult to say
00:23:40
I did not find a dreamer all I can say is that by the time Oscar was out of our labs I believed nothing he said anymore
00:23:50
absolutely nothing did you think when you heard that it was River who was shot that it could have been you yes
00:23:55
definitely yeah so if you could see him now what would you say to him I did see him in court and he made eye contact
00:24:02
with me and the first feeling was I needed to look after him I needed to protect him but then the next day the
00:24:09
very next day he got on the stand and after sort of trying to reach out for me in a way he stood there with a straight
00:24:16
face and said Samantha Taylor is a liar and I thought that is just him that is just him he will put anyone down he's
00:24:25
got no scruples this is Oscar pistorius's bathroom where he fired those four shots that killed
00:24:32
his girlfriend vivastienkamp we've been allowed a rare look inside Oscar's home I must admit it's a little unnerving
00:24:38
finally being here I have terrible Knuckles about things that happened at nights where I wake up
00:24:51
and I can smell the blood I kept on shouting forever to find the police we've just driven into silverwood's
00:25:02
estate in Pretoria South Africa this is an exclusive gated up-market community that Prides itself on state-of-the-art
00:25:09
security and we're driving to the former home of Oscar Pistorius a home Oscar was
00:25:14
forced to sell to pay for his mounting legal fees does number 286 bushwillow Street when
00:25:22
you enter it's like any private luxury home around the world with one crucial difference it will always be remembered
00:25:29
as the place where Oscar Pastorius shot and killed his girlfriend Riva steenkamp
00:25:35
the house has been empty and only recently sold for 450 000 it's now being prepared for its new owners
00:25:44
I'm standing in Oscar's bedroom located on the second floor of his house and whilst the place is empty it's chilling
00:25:51
to be right here where he and Riva were sleeping on Valentine's Eve 2013. God heard this noise I interpreted it as
00:26:00
being somebody was climbing into the bathroom oh my grab my firearm from underneath
00:26:06
the bridge gun in hand Oscar made his way down this narrow Corridor connecting his bedroom to the bathroom it's a
00:26:13
surprisingly Long Walk imagine even more so in complete darkness when all this happened 18 months ago he then turned
00:26:20
the corner and later told the court that he shouted to Riva to call the police before firing four shots through his
00:26:27
locked bathroom door the bullet holes are still in the wall in this video the defense head Oscar
00:26:40
reenact his movements as part of their research Pistorius in another house demonstrated what that night was like
00:26:47
without his prosthetic legs as he made his way to the bathroom good told the court he went back to this
00:26:54
bedroom to put on his prosthetic legs and get a cricket bat he then returned to the bathroom to
00:27:00
break down the door it was then he told the court he found Riva slumped over the
00:27:05
toilet in that same video Oscar's sister play the role of Reba Oscar shows how he picked her up and
00:27:13
carried her out of the bathroom Oscar Pistorius told the court he made his way down this hallway from his
00:27:20
bedroom and then walked down these stairs 18 and all carrying riva's lifeless body to The
00:27:28
Landing below and leaving blood stains everywhere blood that lived a permanent stain on
00:27:35
the floor after 18 months of covering this trial I must admit it's a little unnerving
00:27:41
finally being here laughs I'm completely astounded I don't see negligence in what he did I see a
00:27:53
reckless disregard for taking the life of another human being the people that I think are at greater
00:27:59
stress to snap are those full-blown narcissists that lack of fear allows them to do things that other people
00:28:05
don't the headline says it all Oscar Dodge bullet with a guilty verdict of culpable
00:28:19
homicide and not guilty of premeditated murder judge masepas said her decision was based on Oscar pistorius's State of
00:28:27
Mind foreign [Music] the version of the accused was that he fired shots at the toilet door their
00:28:51
conduct of the accused shortly after the incident is inconsistent with the conduct of someone who had
00:29:00
intention to commit murder he shouted for help he called 9-1-1 he called security he was seen trying to
00:29:10
resuscitate the deceased and he was distraught I think the verdict was one I would
00:29:17
classify as disciplined judge Robert Holdman served on the New York state supreme court I think from her
00:29:24
perspective maybe not from the court of public opinion but from her perspective she believed Oscar pistorius's version
00:29:31
of The Facts his viewpoint that he did not know that that was her and he did not intend to kill anyone is it your
00:29:39
defense that the judge's ruling was a crushing blow to prosecute a Harry Nell's case
00:29:47
these are the versions of yours cannot work this is an example of a defendant getting the benefit of the state not
00:29:55
proving their case Beyond A Reasonable Doubt defense attorney and CNN legal analyst Marco Mara successfully defended
00:30:02
George Zimmerman not guilty for the fatal shooting of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin what she said to
00:30:09
Pistorius with her verdict he is found guilty of culpable homicide was your responsible because you caused the death
00:30:17
in a negligent way you should have avoided it you could have avoided it and you didn't
00:30:23
it comes as a major surprise to me the Judgment Dr David klatzer Who special izes in forensic science strongly
00:30:31
disagrees with the judge given the circumstances given the fact that he admitted to firing the four
00:30:36
shots I can't see how she can escape the conclusion that he intended to kill somebody behind that toilet door so
00:30:45
she's made an error I think so but I can tell you this that every single person in a legal capacity that
00:30:52
I've spoken to and I've spoken to many in the last 24 hours has expressed extreme surprise at the
00:30:58
outcome of this trials the judge rejected the prosecution claims the couple argued
00:31:04
that night I think she completely disregarded all of the neighbors testimony saying they were all they were
00:31:11
all wrong she and she said they all got their information wrong neighbors testified they heard crying and
00:31:16
screaming the lady the screams that I heard before was petrified the female screams but just before the
00:31:26
gunshots it was blood curdling it was something that leaves you cold it was a crying soft
00:31:33
loud the crime was like they simply related what they thought they had the evidence of witnesses must
00:31:46
be rejected in its entirety and the judge didn't believe Oscar's excitable tones in court
00:31:52
could have been mistaken for a woman's screams fast screen the front of Mars ultimately judgment accepted defense
00:32:06
attorney Barry Roo's description of the Blade Runner as a vulnerable anxious man
00:32:12
you're a little boy without legs you experience daily that disability that you cannot run away
00:32:23
that constant reminder I do not have legs I am not the same that's with him he can't pretend
00:32:37
riva's family listened to the painful details as Oscar Tiffany told the court he heard a noise in the dark and feared
00:32:44
for his life I thought that there was a burglar that was scanning entrance my home and then I heard a noise from
00:32:51
inside the toilet before I knew it that fart four shots at the door along I don't know how long ago
00:33:11
however the judge told the court even ability his actions were not justified many have been victims of violent crime
00:33:20
but they have not resorted to sleeping with Firearms under their pillows the judge dismissed the text messages
00:33:27
exchanged between Oscar and Reaver as proof of where their relationship stood in my view none of this evidence from
00:33:35
the state or from the defense proves anything but in the end one of riva's text messages read in court left a lasting
00:33:45
and haunting impression [Music] I can't be attacked by Outsiders for dating you and be attacked by you the
00:33:57
one person I deserve protection from if this is a seminal moment for domestic violence and the way we handle it as a
00:34:12
society then that's not a burden for us to be that poster boy [Applause] athletes and experts know that this and
00:34:30
the Blade Runner has set the world record can change a person or better or worse
00:34:36
you get treated differently you get more things handed to you back that time to Mike Golden Mike Golic
00:34:45
who played defensive tackle for nine NFL seasons understands the seduction of adulation first hand you have a greater
00:34:55
feeling of invincibility that you can basically do anything you want and you're going to get away with it Golic
00:35:01
now hosts ESPN radio's Mike and Mike I love Peyton Manning he's one of the greatest players with his co-host Sports
00:35:08
journalist Mike Greenberg I think that that era of invincibility comes not just from physical dominance when you are
00:35:16
playing but also from a feeling that whatever happens someone's going to take care of it because I'm me I'm special
00:35:22
not just special but immune from or above the law football player Ray Rice who was shown
00:35:31
dragging his unconscious fiancee from an elevator on this videotape was almost forgiven by his fans and his employers
00:35:40
until this videotape was aired on Monday here we are again dealing with the same
00:35:46
issue of violence against women rice has been fired by the Baltimore Ravens he lost all of his endorsement deals and
00:35:55
he's now suspended indefinitely by the NFL what can we do going forward is pray that this was a moment in time that
00:36:04
changed everything this crime like Oscar pistorius's shooting of Riva steenkamp has caught
00:36:12
the world's attention and once again linked athletes with violence in the Public's mind
00:36:20
people often talk about athletes being a violent population Mitch Abrams a sports
00:36:27
psychologist is the author of Anger Management in sport you know they're more likely to be involved in criminal
00:36:33
behavior and there's really no research to support that but the perception also is well these guys are are almost mental
00:36:40
cases on the field and they can't shut it off off the field so we expect the the gun charges and we expect the abuse
00:36:47
charges Abram says frequently athletes are their own worst enemies too proud when faced with taunts or challenges on
00:36:56
or off the field to just walk away the people that I think are greater stress to snap are those full-blown
00:37:04
narcissists the ones that are so full of themselves where does it start from someone took a shot at your manhood how
00:37:10
hard is it to walk away just oh oh it's very difficult to walk away it's very difficult when you get in that mode and
00:37:17
that mindset to turn it off and unfortunately that's what we can get a lot of guys in trouble Sports is a
00:37:23
microcosm of society there are men out there who commit horrible acts when they put their hands on a woman there are
00:37:29
some of them who are professional athletes and those wind up at the top of the newscast Simpson a former pro
00:37:35
football star was charged today with a double murder I think that when we talk about
00:37:40
professional athletes we should be comparing them to celebrities not to the average Joe
00:37:47
athletes attract the same kind of attention as other celebrities sometimes the wrong kind of attention how
00:37:55
vulnerable are these guys to attacks on themselves I think judging from their own actions they feel very vulnerable
00:38:03
and sometimes they are vulnerable by Sean Taylor Sean Taylor a player for the Washington Redskins was shot and
00:38:12
killed in his own home in 2007. Taylor was shot when he confronted an intruder Oscar Pistorius has said he slept with
00:38:20
his gun because he was afraid of a home invasion I believe that there was a threat that was on my life you can have
00:38:28
a whole separate argument of whether that's a good idea or a bad idea but I think that forget about what they say
00:38:40
the verdict is in the trial is done the story is far from over we still have to wait for the actual sentencing we still
00:38:51
don't know all the technicalities of what that culpable homicide verdict will mean for him
00:38:58
Pastorius is often bail awaiting a different decision on the personal price he'll pay for his crimes the range of
00:39:06
sentencing is huge it's essentially from 0 to 15 years judge masipa will be free
00:39:11
to consider everything from the events of that Bloody Valentine's Day to the character and mind of the man at the
00:39:19
sentencing phase now the judge can consider a number of important factors including his disability including his
00:39:26
life experience his mother's experiences and the impact that incarceration will have on an individual like Oscar
00:39:33
Pistorius will Pastorius go to prison legal experts think it likely my gut is that he'll probably get somewhere
00:39:40
between three and eight years I don't see negligence in what he did I see a reckless disregard
00:39:47
for taking the life of another human being Dr David clatso shared a building outrage over the verdict the feeling
00:39:54
that Oscar Pistorius had gotten off too easy was just as served I don't think so
00:40:00
I think that there's a problem the problem stems from the South African culture of guns Oscar Pistorius embraced
00:40:07
what about sending a message on the issue of domestic violence we have a huge incidence in this country of male
00:40:15
on female violence and a lot of male on spouse violence and this is not a good message to send across to the country
00:40:23
that verdict hit Twitter like a bomb with the hashtag Justice forever the prevailing opinion Pistorius got away
00:40:30
with murder well he hasn't got away with it yet we need to see what happens next
00:40:35
I can only continue to express extreme amazement amazement has defined Pistorius and
00:40:43
today the child who courageously carved a legacy like no other one another Victory on count one Meda read the
00:40:52
accused is found not guilty but something else was now evident the man who conquered his disabilities was
00:41:00
destroyed by his demons for some he'll always be Oscar Pistorius the hero but for others he's Oscar Pistorius the
00:41:08
Killer has everything trauma two young attractive people the gun culture of South Africa
00:41:21
and of course Oscar Pistorius Olympic hero Oscar Pistorius wins it for South Africa
00:41:27
[Music] it's not going to change anything because my daughter's never coming back
00:41:32
this day the mother of a daughter shot dead talking to an American television network spoke for people around the
00:41:40
world as if to say take the spotlight off the Killer and remember my beautiful child we try to think about her immense
00:41:49
talents her warmth and sincerity Riva was a person just full of goodness and we try to continue to think about
00:42:00
that in our memory [Music] should the judge send Oscar Pistorius to jail chat now on Twitter and Facebook
00:42:25
thank you break a violence is a real thing it changed my entire life Nate was a football star Lauren was a sassy girl
00:42:56
they're always breaking up getting back together the loss the breakup it's tweeted it's Facebook when they told me
00:43:03
that they had found her body I remember just bellowing don't let it be neat