Violence in Reeva's death 'horrific'
2013-02-22 11:34
Pretoria - The degree of violence in the death of Oscar
Pistorius's girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp was "horrific", prosecutor
Gerrie Nel said at the athlete's bail application on Friday.
"We say that the degree of violence present in this
case is horrific," Nel said in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court as he
opposed the granting of bail for Pistorius.
Pistorius is charged with the murder of Steenkamp after she
was shot dead in a toilet in his home. He has not pleaded but said in an
affidavit he thought there was an intruder in the house when he fired into the
toilet cubicle.
Violence against women
Nel said that the court should not do "lip
service" to reduce crime against women.
"Even the president said in his State of the Nation
address we should prioritise violence against women," said Nel.
He mentioned the recent gang rape and murder of Western Cape
teenager Anene Booysen. This was in response to Magistrate Desmond Nair asking
Nel to give evidence on violence.
Nel said the court must know how many cases of murdered
women were on its roll.
Being in the toilet cubicle must have been "horrific...
having four shots fired in," said Nel, as Pistorius cried while he spoke.
Nel said there was a lot of interest in the case, with
Women, Children and People with Disabilities Minister Lulu Xingwana also
attending the hearing.
"He has been protected too much. Now there is a person
dead."
Nel was referring to friends covering up for Pistorius after
he had threatened someone.
Emotional state
Earlier, Nel turned to Pistorius's emotional state as the
athlete started crying again in court.
Nel said crying was expected, as Pistorius's sister Aimee
shook her head and put her hand to her mouth.
"It is a possibility that after shooting someone, one
starts to feel sorry for themselves," said Nel.
"That I am going to spend days in court, am going to
jail and my career is gone.
"We say that is spontaneous defence."
He said that might have been part of his planning - either
by the defence, or pre- or post murder.
Magistrate Desmond Nair stepped in and questioned Nel's line
of argument.
Pre-meditated
"If it's pre-meditated, could the plan have included
moving the furniture in the house [to make it look like a real burglary],"
asked Nair.
He wanted to know why Pistorius did not break a window to
prove a burglar or remove the dogs.
"I'm not saying the murder of Reeva Steenkamp was
planned weeks or days ahead. We say it was planned on the night," said
Nel.
"I don't have evidence he planned it [the murder] two
or three days before the shooting," said Nel, with Pistorius's family
visibly upset.
Earlier, he said that it could not be a coincidence that
witnesses said they heard a woman's screams before Steenkamp was shot dead.
"Are they lying? Why would independent people
lie?" he asked.
- See News24's Pistorius Special Report.
- SAPA
