Judge lays down rules for Oscar Pistorius psychiatric tests
By Holly Yan and Robyn Curnow, CNN
May 20, 2014 -- Updated 1157 GMT (1957 HKT)

Pretoria, South Africa (CNN) -- Oscar Pistorius must report for a month-long mental examination starting next Monday, the judge in his murder trial said Tuesday.

But unlike many defendants who have been ordered to psychiatric evaluation, the Olympian will not be committed to a medical facility. Judge Thokozile Masipa said Pistorius must report each weekday starting Monday, but will have evenings and weekends free.

The trial will not resume until June 30, Masipa said.

...more at link
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/05/20/world ... ?hpt=hp_t3

The entrance of Weskoppies Hospital

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Oh my! Lynch Mob types have a real dilemma

They are quick to diagnose EVERY defendant as having mental problems. "Narcissistic Sociopath" is standard for all, and in most cases all manner of other psychotic defects are added. For instance I have already seen OP "diagnosed" as "a Schizophrenic"

Yet now the mob have to do a complete about face.... all are adamant that OP is "putting on an act" when it come to the the clear indications of mental distress (and underlying anxiety disorder). The mob wont have a bar of it!

That is not to say that they accept that he is "normal" They are just having to be very choosy about what psych label they apply to OP. I am sure they WILL accept anything that involves anger and aggression. A nice little ""violent sychopath" diagnosis will suit the mob.

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Here is specialist reporter, Karyn Maughan with the latest on the Oscar Pistorius trial. (this is the lady whose tweets were "on the ball" with advanced SCOOP on the Judge's ruling).

Developments in the Oscar Pistorius murder trial.

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Oscar Pistorius to start psychiatric evaluation at Pretoria hospital
May 20, 2014 - 6:54PM
Janice Kew



Pretoria: Paralympian Oscar Pistorius will begin a psychiatric evaluation at a mental-health hospital on May 26 to determine if he can be held criminally responsible for murdering Reeva Steenkamp, a High Court judge ruled.

Judge Thokozile Masipa told the court in Pretoria that the evaluation by four psychologists and psychiatrists at the Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital should not last more than 30 days. The court will reconvene on June 30, she said.

The assessment will determine "whether the accused, by reason of mental illness or mental defect, was at the time of the commission of the offence criminally responsible for the offences charged, whether he was capable of appreciating the wrongfulness of his act or of acting in accordance with an appreciation of the wrongfulness of his act," Judge Masipa said.

...more at link
http://www.smh.com.au/world/oscar-pisto ... zrj5o.html

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I imagine that the "psychiatric" business is a relatively small community in SA, and Dr Vorster is apparently a senior and well respected member of that. Everybody will have worked with each other in the past, and will expect to again in the future. Not withstanding any long term "tiffs" within the community, I think the panel will strive to back Dr Vorster's diagnosis.
I imagine that early on, if not first, they will read her evidence presented in court and her written report. They may even seek her raw data and the stuff she referenced in her report. I would put money on this panel supporting Dr Vorster's diagnosis of "Generalised Anxiety Disorder". Beyond that I would also expect the panel to concur with Dr Vorster that OP was aware of "right and wrong" at the time of the incident.
I have to repeat... I don't see what is in it for Nel? But I do see this "OFFICIAL" assessment as greatly bolstering the evidence already presented by Dr Vorster. It will greatly strengthen whatever points that Roux hoped to make. It also moves the case WELL away from the "State Version". It is only relevant to OP's version and Nel has now gone a long way towards conceding that that version is in play. Else why waste the court's time on an aspect of OP's version.

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Do not go gentle into that good night.
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The "mob" consensus seems to be Narcissisitic Personality Disorder from what I've seen and they probably won't buy any other dx.

IMO
The "State Version" is just speculation, and very poor speculation based on almost nothing. A woman ear witness who heard an "argument" intermittent from 2:00 am onwards. However, the detail of her evidence that she heard ONE voice only. A woman in her opinion. She is not sure (or clear) on the voice coming from OP's house. Baba's evidence was that his patrol at 2:20 am (checked in at station close to OP's house) and heard no such argument at that time. A VERY limp set of evidence that there was any such argument. Reasonable doubt abounds.
Like a lot of speculation, with such an unstable (unproven) base... the State then builds it up with yet more speculation. The VERY dubious evidence in regards stomach contents and digestion. Claimed to show that Reeva ate a meal at 1:00 am? hardly proof given the literature warning that extrapolating such evidence is unreliable when it comes to estimating times. Nel's own "fuzzy math" working backward to claim size of meal, showed just how daft his own evidence was. The 200ml of food found at time of autopsy would imply a HUGE meal (5l or more) at the time OP claims (Nel says). But Nel also contends that digestion continues after death, and so his "1:00 am meal" would need to have been 5l or more also if digestion continued after death up until the body was refrigerated at around mid-day. You just CAN NOT do that sort of calculation.. it makes no sense... it is Daft!!! And Nel should know that. Besides... so what? If Reeva had a snack at 1:00 am it proves...... NOTHING about an argument. At best it could be seen as a very small "impeachment" of OP's version... but not really if she simply popped out while he was asleep.
The State version also includes the sound of Reeva screaming before the sound of gunshots. People posting still chant "5 witnesses heard Reeva's blood curdling screams". But no matter that it has become "Gossip Forum Folk lore"... that is simply not true.

Only 4 people testified to screams. In fact only 2 married couples (couples are less than totally independent witnesses, obviously).
The State's own evidence of times etc. put the screams heard AFTER the first bangs (gunshots).. and so it is impossible that the screams were Reeva (she was dead). The State version in regards screams stands or falls on their contention that bangs after 3:17 were the gunshots.. and THAT is impossible given all the other events that must have occurred after the gunshots.

And......

It worth reiterating.. "The Golden Thread" that runs though the Justice system...

The Judge will view all the evidence in the context of PRESUMED INNOCENT.. with the burden on the State to prove their "version" beyond reasonable doubt.

There is absolutely no sign of the State coming within a "bull's roar" of that!!

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Hey there Rumple, Nice place you have here

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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

Hey Carmelita and Rumpole :-D How the hell are ya? Let's get crackin ;-) x x

Welcome to RT, jellybean

There wont be any new info for a month, but perhaps people can restate some of what we KNOW now.. based on the evidence presented.

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Tomorrow's the day for Oscar, is it? I don't think they'll request he do the full 30 days either.

Ah thank you, honey. Good idea :-)

Unsure of what the assessment will diagnose/conclude. Might he not even be charged with CH as a result?

As I have stated up thread... it is a "worry" when psychiatrists/psychologists get involved in a case at all.

The Jodi Arias trial is an example of the sort of nonsense that can ensue... dueling opinions on either side... Psych evaluation is to some extent "subjective".

However, having said that, then in this case it's clear that OP is effected by "anxiety" and I am sure any diagnosis will include that. GAD is just a label... but I am sure any diagnosis will include a significant effect of anxiety in OP. Maybe they too will use the "GAD" as defined... but perhaps some other anxiety related "disorder" or "syndrome"

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Yes OP reports 9am to 4pm every weekday, for 30 days. His observation begins Monday, 26th May.

That is today for me In about 10 hours

I guess we may get a report that OP is seen "entering the facility".. but I don't expect anything else to be revealed.

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That's very true.

The 'blood curdling scream' has certainly become the new mantra, and just after the 'Black Talon' one was starting to die down when it was shown that the bullets may in fact be 'Rangers'. Rangers doesn't quite have the same venom to it, I can almost hear the collective sigh of disappointment from the Gossip Folk Forum.

If only these people understood that there was only the mention of blood curdling screams from Ms Burger, and even she 'forgot' to put that in her written statement, merely saying 'I heard the woman scream'. I'm not aware that memory gets much clearer over the passage of time, perhaps it's something to do with piano playing

I've been trying to get a handle on Nel's eventual closing argument, and am currently toying with the idea that he's going to suggest that the cricket bat was used first in anger, before the shooting, but not commit to whether OP was on prostheses or stumps. I've thought of every scenario I can, and can't see how he can claim bat first with OP on his prostheses, or bat first with OP on his stumps without contradicting the expert witness evidence either at the bat-strike stage, or the later shooting stage.

Nel could categorically state that OP was on his stumps whilst waving the cricket bat around and hitting things in anger but this creates a big problem. It would create a somewhat farcical, almost comedic picture. If he swings something around that bathroom he is highly likely to fall over, as he has no feet and cannot spread his weight. I imagined a situation of OP standing at a cricket bat crease (near the stumps on his stumps) and swinging the bat sideways to try and connect with the ball. In all likelihood he would fall over.

If Nel wants to plant the suggestion that OP could have been on his stumps when using the cricket bat, he has to be careful to make the task look as normal as he can, without over-promoting the fact. This could perhaps be why he chose not to pursue the bath panel damage. If he would have done this, he'd have possibly opened the door to more intensive scrutiny over whether OP would be at all stable whilst making these additional swinging actions in the bathroom. Nel wouldn't want this to be scrutinised, particularly if he's intent on leaving his claim of OP being on either stumps or prostheses open-ended at closing argument.

It's just a thought and pure speculation of course, and I don't mind at all if someone would like to pick holes in this. I've not given any other of Nel's possible closing arguments a great deal of thought as yet.

...I don't think he has many realistic options though.

Yep, that's exactly what they want. It's one of the few diagnoses that would work against OP.

...this was meant to be second choice as they weren't able to find a terminal mental illness on Google.

It could be a first for Cricket... "OUT! A swing and miss..fell on stumps" (off stumps)

Almost every ball would be a head-high "bouncer"

Nel is "in trouble" however he attempts to explain the first bangs. They sounded like gunshots to Dr Stipp, and so Nel would have to concede that things other than gunshots can be mis-percieved and "fool" an ear witness. In which case all bets are off.. Nel has to concede that mis-perception of bangs as gunshots... and so ANY mis-perception of sounds.. that includes the screams. "Beyond reasonable doubt" is out the window as far as ear witness testimony goes.

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That was very good!

I'll take the smiley as a "thumbs up"... though it is giving the finger

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