It may be surprising to you all based on my previous posts that I think the terms of the community service recommendation of the two defense witnesses is not enough. After all this was a homicide.

Only sixteen hours for an entire month is not sufficient for appropriate atonement and some proper measure of sense of punishment for the Steenkamp family. This was probably the biggest slap in the face to them. He should be required to serve in community service functions and especially with disadvantaged or disabled for 5 hours a day for the three years. He will benefit tremendously from this as it will restore a sense of self worth to himself. And it will not give the impression that he is free to return to almost a normal life after taking another innocent life. Even with 5 hours a day, it still leaves time for him to keep himself at a state of athlete level conditioning, and he should be allowed to do so within the terms of house arrest.

His family has money and he will not go hungry if he is obligated to put his career second to everything else and incur a community serving punishment. Possibly it will put Oscar on the path to a whole different career working in this type of capacity all around the world.

I think it will be a win-win for everybody and hopefully this is the balance Judge Masipa will decide is just.

I think Steve made reference to double jeopardy because here in the US if Oscar had been acquitted of murder with intent the prosecutor would have no chance to appeal the verdict due to our double jeopardy law. So in effect Nel knew all along if there was an acquittal he could at least try to appeal, so that may have influenced his decision to overcharge.

Hi Aavi, I agree that the recommendation of 16 hours a month is not of any use. I think there needs to be a lot of hours put in on a weekly basis but I think first Oscar needs mental health treatment, I know I have said it before but I honestly think that he is suicidal. I can’t say a proper amount of hours or how you make an obviously psychologically damaged man well enough to fill his community service hours but I think Oscar needs to be made more psychologically stable before he does anything of value for the community.


There is simply nothing Oscar can do to make up for his negligence, to make up for taking Reeva’s life, so this does become as much as it can a case of restorative justice. (And I am a conservative saying that) I believe justice is about punishment but I think every case must be looked at in it’s uniqueness.

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If your mind is agitated you will find agitation everywhere. Where else will you find peace if not within you? __ Papaji

I have always held psychologists, psychiatrists and psychotherapists in low regard to say the least. The only part in my opinion of the title of psychotherapist that is correct, is the 'psycho' part. It is akin to a three card monty scam, but legalized when a license is issued to charge mentally stressed individuals for a "service." Patients are sucked into that con game and often spend their entire life savings going to sessions. It's nothing but a license to steal money.

They are no more right than weather men or women who are wrong half the time. It's like a placebo that patients think they are being helped because they think they're "supposed" to be. No amount of schooling of the workings of the mind can cure deep seated mental defects. I would much rather place my faith in hypnotherapists who go into the subconscious and reprogram the core cause of the deficiency.

If Oscar's mind is focused on helping others, he won't be focused on the events of that night and the rewards will be self-evident when he sees changes in others due to his influence and encouragement. It will be a thousand times more effective than what any psycho mind mechanic could ever achieve. It will refocus a sense of self-worth knowing he is making a difference in those people's lives. And at the same time, it will be "giving back" to society for a negligence that was preventable.

He has to forgive himself. Nobody else can make that happen. There isn't a doubt in my mind that he would be willing to work 8 hours a day, seven days a week, if it can somehow make up for what he did to himself and the loss of the Steenkamps.

Oscar is a good man and there is no question that he is a suicidal time bomb. He can get all the encouragement and love he needs from his family members. He has to substitute the terror in his mind with making a difference in others people's lives and it has to be visible so he can see it, feel good about it, and let his mind reprogram his self worth.

No doctor holding him or talking to him like a chaplain is ever going to do that.

We probably wouldn’t diverge too much in our opinions of the field of mental health workers. I have always believed that most in the field enter into it in order to "fix" themselves, because of the power over others that it brings and/or to justify being a busybody. That said I believe that there are good conscientious mental health workers.

I don’t believe that all mental heath disorders are a case of changing thought patterns, some are true genetic defects and need a wise psychiatrist who can medicate patients into the their healthiest biochemical balance.

I think the roll of a mental health worker should be first and foremost to find out if a patients mental problem is of an organic order requiring medicine/therapy or if it is of a strictly environmental genesis and requires the person learn a new way of doing and thinking. It is impossible to talk or mobilize a person into healthy thinking, when that person is telling you about someone sneaking body parts into their bedroom, unless you are wiling to explore a genetic basis for their disordered thinking.

I also agree with you that much of Psycho treatment is a scam. Many people spend years and years making the same complaints, a therapist pacifies them for an hour and then they repeat the process a week later. Nothing changes other than the therapist paycheck.

I am also a big proponent of acting your way into right thinking rather than thinking your way into right acting, so in that we would also agree that Oscar needs to do good things that bring him outside of the prison of that AM.

Oscar I believe has a genetic predisposition for depression and I think he also has an issue with accepting any imperfections in himself (obviously speculation based on observation, reading and experience). Couple those two possibilities with his killing Reeeva and you have the perfect storm for a suicide.

Oscars tattoo reads in part “ I make my body my slave.” Oscar said that academics were never his strong suit yet he was a high B student. He has always demanded perfection from himself. Where the root of that took place can only be speculated to, but that his unrelenting standard for perfection in himself seems to be part of his core being.

So how does he stop from the constant self loathing that has been brought upon by his killing Reeva, Nel’s prosecutorial style, the general ignorance of society who now judge him as a monster and Oscar’s predisposition for judging himself very harshly? IMO First and foremost he has a loving family which will nurture all that is good in him and help him put things in perspective. Second is Oscar getting outside of his head and doing things where he makes a positive impact. Third, is Oscar learning to not feel guilty when he begins to feel happy. Fourth, spiritual guidance about self forgiveness.

IMO I don’t have to like the field of mental health to believe that Oscar needs more than positive thoughts, love and a “getting out there” to heal. He and his family need information and knowledge to let them know what he is experiencing, why he is experiencing it and some actions, behaviors, mind tricks to help Oscar get out of the horrors of perpetual self blame.

Traumas cause biochemical changes in the brain. There is evidence of this in brain mapping, those biochemical changes need to be addressed.

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If your mind is agitated you will find agitation everywhere. Where else will you find peace if not within you? __ Papaji

Hi Carmelita,

Yes, I was suspecting that had the trial been in the U.S. the prosecutor wouldn't have over-charged the case in such a way, because of the ruling. I'm not too familiar with how murder charges are handled outside of the UK, hence my question.

Hi Steve,

Here in the states if Oscar was acquitted of a crime he could not be retried. It would be over with. We have had people confess to murder after an acquittal and they can not be retried. It is part of our due process of rights in the 5th Amendment


“The government cannot try a defendant for the same crime more than once. This prevents double jeopardy (being tried more than once for the same offense.) It inhibits the government from using its power and financial resources to try a suspect over and over until getting a guilty verdict. Additionally, it helps ensure justice be encouraging the state to be sure of its case before proceeding. This protection is part of the due process rights protected by the Fifth Amendment.”

I think it is good law as it prevents a corrupt prosecutor from tying up a person in court for years and it helps to prevent frivolous prosecutions.Without it folks like George Zimmerman would have spent their lives defending against the same charge until a prosecutor found a jury that was ignorant or vengeful enough to convict.

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If your mind is agitated you will find agitation everywhere. Where else will you find peace if not within you? __ Papaji

Well, it's morning here and South Africa, sentencing day for Oscar Pistorius, the judge has a lot to consider.

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Since we are destined to live out our lives in the prison of our minds, our one duty is to furnish it well~Peter Ustinov

Hi Wroughead.... I have had a lot of grief from Neltards on twitter...

Love to see light sentence just to shut ppl up!!

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Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

Yes I understand that RT. I think given the strength of feeling in the public in SA the sentence will either be seen as too light, or to severe.

No-one will be happy with this one.

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Since we are destined to live out our lives in the prison of our minds, our one duty is to furnish it well~Peter Ustinov

The trial has already lasted twice as long as the relationship between Reeva and Oscar did -amazing little fact.

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Since we are destined to live out our lives in the prison of our minds, our one duty is to furnish it well~Peter Ustinov

Can I twitter quote you on that lol

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Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

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Since we are destined to live out our lives in the prison of our minds, our one duty is to furnish it well~Peter Ustinov

I tweeted... its had a couple of retweets... hope its true!!

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Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

Looks like OP will get some prison time.

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Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

The public want OP to be treated the same as non celebrities who committed a similar crime, tbis is a problem she has, given the way she is talking it sounds like he is going to get some jail time!,,,snap

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Since we are destined to live out our lives in the prison of our minds, our one duty is to furnish it well~Peter Ustinov

I imagine there will be an appeal?

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Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

OP is broke though.

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Since we are destined to live out our lives in the prison of our minds, our one duty is to furnish it well~Peter Ustinov

Family is not.. and possibly he is not... investments

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

5 years for manslaughter 3 years suspended for the other weapons charge. I know, but I still don't think they will appeal.

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Since we are destined to live out our lives in the prison of our minds, our one duty is to furnish it well~Peter Ustinov

I think he will not have an easy time in jail!

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Since we are destined to live out our lives in the prison of our minds, our one duty is to furnish it well~Peter Ustinov