Pistorius’ punishment suggestion to ‘clean a museum’ prompts anger

A South African prison official on Monday recommended Oscar Pistorius clean a museum as punishment for shooting dead his girlfriend, sparking prosecution anger in a court weighing what sentence to give the Paralympian. Defence witness Joel Maringa, a social worker in South Africa’s notoriously crowded and brutal jails, said Pistorius should not go to prison, but receive “correctional supervision” through three years of house arrest. He should also clean a Pretoria museum for 16 hours a month, Maringa said. Prosecutor Gerrie Nel described Maringa’s suggestion as “shockingly inappropriate”. Pistorius was found guilty last month of negligently killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in the early hours of Valentine’s Day 2013.

We are basically saying that Oscar Pistorius should not be destroyed….He will get an opportunity to restructure and modify his behaviour.

Defence witness Joel Maringa

The 27-year-old double amputee athlete was cleared of the more serious charge of murder. The lesser verdict shocked the country and fuelled criticism of South Africa’s legal system. His sentencing, which began on Monday, was expected to run for most of the week. The “Blade Runner” could face up to 15 years in prison, or could dodge a jail term altogether with a non-custodial sentence. A friend of Reeva’s, Desi Myers, expressed her disbelief at the community service suggestion, saying: “I don’t want to think, I don’t want to talk.”

Sports pistorius