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AIBU?

To think Oscar Pistorius deserves the benefit of the doubt?

217 replies

SilverMoo · 19/02/2013 19:10

Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty? I think the media circus around this is really unfair and am shocked so many people are ready to jump on the bandwagon and call him a murdering woman hater before he's even been tried. Just that really.

OP posts:

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ginmakesitallok · 19/02/2013 19:40

He's admitted killing her, he's not innocent?

Wereonourway · 19/02/2013 19:40

X posted with olgaga.
Surely magistrate / judge or their South African equivalent will also be swayed by media circus?
In such a case it will be difficult for anyone to prove without doubt whether it was or wasn't premeditated?

TidyDancer · 19/02/2013 19:41

Totally agree OP. the whole thing is a desperately sad situation, but I do not believe it was murder.

SilverMoo · 19/02/2013 19:42

Imagine for a second he is innocent and has shot dead his girlfriend who he loved thinking he was protecting her, I would imagine having to live with himself will be the worst punishment if he is innocent.

OP posts:

Wereonourway · 19/02/2013 19:42

Also agree that the argument over pre meditation doesn't for to change the tragic circumstances.

Ponderingonaquandry · 19/02/2013 19:43

From what I've read he's not denying his guilt over whether he murdered her he is denying its premeditated and on that count I hope he gets a full and fair trial. From what I've read her family don't feel it's premeditated so let's hope he can take some solace in that.

Fwiw I think it's a tragic accident in a country where fear and firearms rule.

Yellowtip · 19/02/2013 19:47

Wiley if he killed her unintentionally then he's not guilty, by definition.

I'd like to think I subscribe to 'innocent until proved guilty' but there are some trials currently going on closer to home where I've prejudged the issue, so it's not an absolute with me. Even though it should be, I know.

lljkk · 19/02/2013 19:48

Killing someone thru stupidity is still a crime.

WileyRoadRunner · 19/02/2013 19:49

^ not guilty of murder yellowtip no.

Itsjustafleshwound · 19/02/2013 19:58

I am sorry but I really don't think there is going to be anything fair wrt this trial.

LaurieFairyCake · 19/02/2013 20:03

Well he's not going to get a fair trial if you define it by the British justice system.

It's SA - there's no jury, either side can say what the cock they like as there's no jury pool to prejudice. It's one judge. And it's done much quicker.

He's guilty of killing her, the only doubt is whether he intended to.

LRDtheFeministDragon · 19/02/2013 20:03

What joyful said, absolutely.

I also wouldn't have thought 'benefit of the doubt' means the same as 'fair trial'.

MrsTerryPratchett · 19/02/2013 20:03

He shot someone dead without giving them the 'benefit of the doubt'.

I am inclined to think that it is more probable that a man killed his GF because DV is rife rather than his story. Doesn't mean he doesn't deserve a fair trial.

ceebeegeebies · 19/02/2013 20:08

I desperately hope that it was a very tragic accident

However, as a PP has said, whatever happens, he has cast a very dark shadow over all his achievements which were amazing and it is highly unlikley that he will ever run again.

And, if it was an accident, he has to forever live with the guilt that he killed his girlfriend

And, finally, someone has lost their life and her family have to live with that.

The whole situation is desperately desperately tragic

hackmum · 19/02/2013 20:11

I think the media circus is distasteful but inevitable.

He will almost be found guilty of something. Even if he thought he was shooting a burglar, he fired four times. I don't know how lenient the South African legal system is when it comes to killing someone in self-defence, but four shots seems excessive.

CockBollocks · 19/02/2013 20:14

People have killed intruders in this country so I dont understand why it is so unfeasible that this was the case, especially when SA can be such a scary place.

We only know what the press have told us combined with a few details from the police neither of whom I particularly have much faith in telling completely unbiased truth.

TBH I cant imagine we will ever know what happened and regardless of what actually happened I suspect his fate is already decided.

I feel very sorry for the families involved.

MajaBiene · 19/02/2013 20:14

He is guilty of killing her.

He is either guilty of deliberately killing her or he is guilty of killing her through acting incredibly recklessly.

I mean, come on! "I thought she was a burglar" is a pretty poor defence for shooting someone through a door when you know you have a guest in the house.

What with domestic violence calls and a blood splattered cricket bat as well, guilt of reckless stupidity sounds like an unlikely outcome.

MajaBiene · 19/02/2013 20:15

And even if his argument is self defence - someone behind a locked door is not really an immediate threat

Narked · 19/02/2013 20:21

'Innocent until proven guilty' is part of our legal system. It means that the state can't punish you for a crime without due process. It has fuck all to do with what individuals think, particularly about a trial in a country that doesn't use juries for criminal matters.

Itsjustafleshwound · 19/02/2013 20:24

We would all love to believe in the concept of been considered innocent until proven guilty, but what sort of justice or truth will the Steenkamps really get when he is lawyered up to the hilt with PR ....

Ponderingonaquandry · 19/02/2013 20:31

What gets me sympathising with him is just how vulnerable must he feel at night when he's not got his legs on or easily to hand so if he's been a previous victim of crime perhaps that's why he grossly over reacted?

whateveritakes · 19/02/2013 20:32

MajaBieneHe can't have known the door was locked though until afterwards (if that's what happened).

MajaBiene · 19/02/2013 20:35

Shooting through a closed door is still not reasonable.

thezebrawearspurple · 19/02/2013 20:37

He did kill her, the court needs to decide whether it was reckless stupidity or actual murder. He will have a fair trial, he's rich, famous, a sports hero, white and has the world media watching every move. There are a lot of details released by the police to counter pr coming from Pistorius camp. They don't have trial by jury in SA, it is a judge that determines guilt or innocence by the evidence shown so they can release as many details as they want because a professional won't be swayed by media propaganda from either side.

Ponderingonaquandry · 19/02/2013 20:38

No but who are we to say what is reasonable in the mind of someone in his position?

Think. You've got no legs, you're in a country where intruders do pretty gruesome things to their victims, you're in a property that isn't fully secure, the expected reaction for a home invasion is to shoot first ask questions later.

It's not the safe and cosy uk this has taken place in

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