Monday, November 24, 2014

Oscar Pistorius trial books review – the case that mesmerised the world

The Observer,
Oscar Pistorius
Oscar Pistorius in court in Pretoria: ‘What really charged our imaginations was that Pistorius alone knew whether he actually meant to kill Steenkamp.’ Photograph: Herman Verwey/AP
There has never been a criminal trial like it. From the moment Oscar Pistorius, the sci-fi athlete, shot and killed his model girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, on the morning of Valentine’s Day in 2013, it became irresistible rolling news. For the first time in South African history, a trial would be shown, from opening statements to verdict, on live TV. A cable channel soon offered 24-hour coverage and analysis. And, unlike the OJ Simpson case in 1995, social media stepped in with round-the-clock bloviating by everyone from experts to Donald Trump. June Steenkamp, Reeva’s mother, remembers that as Pistorius took the witness stand there was rapt silence in the courtroom; the only sound was journalists tapping on their screens.Tim Lewis weighs up the evidence from three accounts of a gripping trial

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