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                  Pistorius Appeal Hearing Set for December 9

   by VOA News

   South African prosecutors say their application to appeal the
   conviction and sentence given to track star Oscar Pistorius will be
   heard in a Pretoria court December 9.

   Pistorius was convicted of culpable homicide and sentenced to five
   years in prison for the shooting death of his girlfriend Reeva
   Steenkamp.

   The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said last week it would appeal
   the decisions, which critics have said are too light given the
   circumstances of the case.

   The Authority is questioning whether Judge Thokozile Masipa correctly
   applied the legal principle of dolus eventualis, which means a person
   is responsible for the foreseeable consequences of their actions.

   Pistorius fatally shot Steenkamp through a locked bathroom door at his
   Pretoria home in February 2013.  Pistorius said he thought he was
   firing at a nighttime intruder.

   Judge Masipa absolved Pistorius of more serious murder charges, saying
   prosecutors did not prove the shooting was premeditated.

   Pistorius is currently serving his five-year sentence at a prison in
   Pretoria.  His lawyers have said he could be released to house arrest
   within a year.

   Pistorius is known as the "blade runner" for his carbon-fiber
   prosthetic legs.  He rose to fame in the London 2012 Games, where he
   became the first double amputee to compete in the Olympics.



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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/pistorius-appeal-hearing-south-africa
   /2514531.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/pistorius-appeal-hearing-south-africa/2514531.html