JOHANNESBURG (AP) – The heart of the murder case against Oscar Pistorius has relied on a section of South African criminal law known by the Latin term of dolus eventualis. The Supremes Court of Appeal decided Thursday that a lower court’s reading of that was faulty and overturned its manslaughter conviction against the athlete, convicting him of murder.
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MURDER VERSUS MANSLAUGHTER
It was never disputed that Pistorius killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in the early hours of Valentine’s Day in 2013. What was uncertain, however, was whether he meant to do it.
Under South African law, a murder conviction hinges on the offender’s intention to kill, according to South African criminal law expert Mannie Witz. Without intention, the killing is ruled as manslaughter, or culpable homicide as it is known in South Africa.