Oscar Pistorius walks without prosthetics to show court 'how vulnerable he is'

On the third day of Oscar Pistorius' resentencing trial, the Paralympian gold medalist removed his prosthetic legs and hobbled through a South Africa courtroom in a display of "how vulnerable he is without his artificial limbs," Reuters reports. Pistorius' lower legs were amputated when he was a baby. The courtroom walk came as his lawyers argued for a more lenient sentence than the minimum of 15 years Pistorius currently faces for killing girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in 2013. Pistorius claims to have mistaken Steenkamp for an intruder when he shot her multiple times through a locked bathroom door.
Thus far in the trial, Pistoruis has been perceived by some as getting "preferential treatment" because he is white and wealthy, but Pistorius' lawyers argue that these misconceptions have arisen from "perceived misunderstandings around the defendant's motives and mobility," The Wall Street Journal reports. "It was not the man winning gold medals that must be judged,” Pistorius' defense lawyer, Barry Roux, said. "[Popular belief suggests it] is a 1.85-meter man standing on his stumps at 3 o'clock in the morning in the dark that must be judged." Roux underscored that Pistorius was "vulnerable because of his disability."
Prosecutor Gerrie Nel responded to Pistorius' courtroom walk by asking the court to show photos of Steenkamp's "bloodied head and torso after the shooting," Reuters reports.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Pistorius was previously sentenced to five years in prison for manslaughter for the killing of Steenkamp. However, that conviction was overturned in 2015 after an appeals court hit Pistorius with a more serious murder charge. He is currently living under house arrest.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Book reviews: ‘Red Scare: Blacklists, McCarthyism, and the Making of Modern America’ and ‘How to End a Story: Collected Diaries, 1978–1998’
Feature A political ‘witch hunt’ and Helen Garner’s journal entries
By The Week US Published
-
The backlash against ChatGPT's Studio Ghibli filter
The Explainer The studio's charming style has become part of a nebulous social media trend
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Why are student loan borrowers falling behind on payments?
Today's Big Question Delinquencies surge as the Trump administration upends the program
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wife
speed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster show
Speed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top Grammys
Speed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The Louvre is giving 'Mona Lisa' her own room
Speed Read The world's most-visited art museum is getting a major renovation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talks
Speed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tour
Speed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamation
Speed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' ignite holiday box office
Speed Read The combination of the two movies revitalized a struggling box office
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published