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State appeal in Pistorius case set for November

June 8, 2015

The South African Supreme Court has said it will hear a state appeal over the case of Olympic and Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius in November. Prosecutors want the severity of his sentence increased.

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Oscar Pistorius hearing his sentencing REUTERS/Herman Verwey/Pool
Image: Reuters/Herman Verwey

An appeal by South African prosecutors seeking to have Olympic and Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius convicted and sentenced for murder will be heard in November, the Supreme Court said on Monday.

Pistorius was found guilty last year of culpable homicide - a charge similar to manslaughter - for shooting and killing his girlfriend, model and TV presenter Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentine's Day in 2013.

He received a five-year prison sentence, whereas the murder conviction sought by prosecutors would have carried a minimum of 15 years in prison.

No exact date has been set for the appeal.

High-profile case

Last year's months-long trial of Pistorius, who in 2012 became the first double-amputee athlete to compete in the Olympic games, was the focus of great international attention.

He was found guilty of shooting the 29-year-old Steenkamp several times through a toilet door in his Pretoria home. The 28-year-old runner - known as the "Blade Runner" for the prosthetic legs he wears when competing - claimed he mistook her for an intruder.

State prosecutors were granted permission in December to appeal against the verdict of culpable homicide handed down by Judge Thokozile Masipa.

Pistorius' legal team later unsuccessfully tried to halt the appeal.

The athlete, who has spent just 10 months of his sentence in a Pretoria jail, could be released on parole in August for good conduct.

tj/msh (AFP, AP)