Reeva Steenkamp, Domestic Violence and Injustice

[CKDexterHaven]

Between the internet and television I have been able to watch every second of this trial. Some might call this ghoulish or murder as entertainment but for me it was a rare opportunity to actually see how the system deals with male violence against women. The headlines constantly tell us that justice works for violent men and fails their female victims and here was a chance to see if this was true and see how it works in action.

I was actually pleasantly surprised, from a feminist viewpoint, about the trial. Judge Masipa was rumoured to be an advocate for women and tough on male violence. She and her assessors looked like everyday human beings, rather than the pillars of the establishment we see on the benches of this country. I was also pleasantly surprised by the effort the State made in fighting for Reeva Steenkamp and tearing down the ridiculous story about an intruder. Despite generous bail conditions, that I suspect would never be granted to a poor or black man, Oscar Pistorius, a wealthy, well-connected sporting hero was not treated with kid gloves by the trial proceedings.

From the initial cynicism that Pistorius was too rich to jail, most watching the trial felt that Reeva Steenkamp, at least, was going to receive some kind of justice. She was locked in a tiny, enclosed space, bullets designed to cause maximum injury shattered her pelvis, 'amputated' her arm and blew her brains out, neighbours heard her screams, neighbours called security, one kind neighbour rushed round to see if he could help save her; surely her dead body was enough to make her be believed? Pistorius, on the other hand, was a poor witness, caught out in endless untruths and contradictions. The ballistics, forensics, ear-witness testimony and Reeva's own words about his controlling behaviour and bad temper stood against his ludicrous story.

However, Judge Masipa has found Pistorius guilty only of culpable homicide and one other charge of firing a gun in a public place. I, and most legal experts commenting on the case, am completely bewildered and disappointed in this decision. Masipa swept away virtually all of the evidence as 'circumstantial' and, therefore, unreliable. Pistorius was called unreliable and untruthful and, yet, her findings were based almost entirely on believing his word. A rich, white, good-looking, sporting hero from a well-connected family was given the benefit of the doubt and his version was allowed to stand. Reeva had a whole body of evidence swept aside as 'open to interpretation', whereas one man's word was enough to reach a verdict in his favour. If this is the test then women will never receive justice.

Is this what domestic violence murders down to? If there is nobody to see a woman being murdered then it never happened? A murder happens behind closed doors, there are no witnesses, the murderer lives to spin a tale and the victim has no voice at all? People criticise women for not reporting rapes and domestic violence but what is the point if even your dead body isn't enough to prove you are truthful and all the man standing over it holding a gun only has to say 'I didn't mean to do it' to be believed? Now that I've seen a domestic violence case in action I can't believe how grim and depressing I find the whole situation.

[cailindana]

That glosswatch piece is very good. And very apt.

[PetulaGordino]

I think that normalisation of fear is the crux of it tbh

[Zazzles007]

I have been following the Oscar P trial sporadically, and my inner cynic is not surprised at the outcome. My inner cynic would have loved to have a been a fly-on-the-wall in the back room meetings to observe what deals were done in regards to this trial (pure speculation of course). Watch this space [ ].

[StillFrigginRexManningDay]

Having followed the trial in an almost obsessive way I was shocked at the outcome. The judges comments struck me as being bizarre almost as if she were trying to convince herself as she was saying them.
The cynic in me reckons there was a lot of behind the scenes deals being made.
I also think this is not the last we will hear of OP and violence and abuse of women. Reeva will be forgotton, wittled down to being the model girlfriend of Oscar Pistorius the man who got away with murder.

[TheHobbit]

Im going to go off the mark a bit here and tell you about my DP's experience who is a white South African male from a rich family. He was accused of rape. He was completely innocent. He went back to SA for a holiday and the last night before he was due to return to the UK hadca ine nightstand. She was married to a marine which he didn't know about.

He was unawarenof the accusation and came back to the UK and was telephoned by his family telling him of the accusation. He went back to clear his name. If ge was guilty he could have just stayed in the UK but he honestly thought it was a misunderstanding. The courtcase went on for 3 years!!!! He was facing 15 years in prison. He had a complete mental breakdown and then he was found not guilty. He and his family went through hell and now he has PTSD from the trauma and developed bipolar.

The SA system does take this very seriously and does punish heavily for it. I know, I now have to live with the consequences of having a partner suffer with PTSD. Of course if he had hevwould have deserved every bit of punishment but I know he didn't. He's also half the size of most women he really is tiny, he only weights 9 stone and exceptionally sensitive even the police gave him a look when they saw him.
.

[TheHobbit]

Sorry please excuse awful typos from my awful galaxy!!

[sashh]

When you read about her upbringing, and the times she has lived through, and then see comments like that from privileged, white, middle-class women, the mind boggles.

Wasn't she privately educated and admitted to a 'white' university?

[gincamparidryvermouth]

I think she's saying her DP was definitely innocent and he was found innocent therefore because OP was found innocent he must also be innocent? I don't know.

[NickAndNora]

There are clearly problems with the South African justice system, such as the length of time it takes to reach trial, the length of the trials and prison conditions and overcrowding but this means the system needs reform, not that it's unfair to prosecute nice, white men when they're charged with rape or murder. It should also be mentioned that Oscar got very generous bail conditions and would have been locked up since February 2013 if he'd been poor and probably would have been locked up in Weskoppies Hospital during his psychiatric evaluation too.

[DonkeySkin]

Hopefully the state will appeal. Apparently most legal experts felt Pistorius was never going to be convicted of premeditated murder; however, this article notes that many feel the judge erred in her dismissal of dolus eventualis (i.e, that he clearly intended to kill whoever was behind the bathroom door).

mg.co.za/article/2014-09-11-oscar-pistorius-ruling-perplexes-legal-experts

The fact that conviction for premeditated murder was always considered a remote possibility raises a crucial issue for feminists, IMO. Since most cases of domestic homicide are men murdering women and children, the legal standard needed to prove premeditated murder in such a setting, where there are usually no other witnesses around, effectively gives men licence to murder their families.

Feminists cannot rely on the legal system to punish men who commit such crimes. I firmly believe that many fewer men would be violent if it were never in their interests to commit it, i.e., in a society in which all social and legal norms worked against rewarding men for committing violence. How are we to establish a society in which male violence is anathema to social norms, if we cannot achieve even minimal legal sanctions against it?

[Curwen]

Donkeyskin, hen you say 'rewarding men for committing violence', do you mean it literally, e.g. professional sportsmen, or do you mean an absence of adequate punishment?

[TheHobbit]

What I meant in my post, was that things like violence to women are taken seriously as if it wasn't then my partner wouldn't have had to stand trial for three years, it would've taken a lot quicker and his punishment wouldn't have been so harsh. It was just an example that's all.

[NickAndNora]

Having watched all the trial I do think there was crime scene evidence that proved Oscar lied about the events of the night and knew Reeva was in the bathroom. I do think there was evidence of intent to kill her specifically. This evidence was not circumstantial and I don't understand why the judge dismissed it.

[DoctorTwo]

He knew what he was doing. He deliberately put four bullets through the door knowing whoever was behind that door would be killed. He's got away with murder.

[PetulaGordino]

i take my phone with me to the loo in the night because i use it as a torch (bathroom is downstairs), but obviously that doesn't meen that reeva steenkamp did. i agree re the door locking though

[Amethyst24]

Re locking the door, Reeva was a "nice" girl from a quite conservative family. I don't find it hard to believe at all that she'd lock a toilet door out of modesty/habit, even if the only other person in the house was her lover.

I do agree the verdict is bizarre, though.

[ifyourehoppyandyouknowit]

I lock the door when I go for a wee, even in the middle of the night. There is no violence or abuse in my relationship. 10 years together and I still have never used the toilet in front of him. In fact have only ever used the toilet in front of someone as an adult on one occasion. So I'm not sure if that can be used as evidence.

[SanityClause]

He deliberately put four bullets through the door knowing whoever was behind that door would be killed. He's got away with murder.

^^^

This. He intended to murder someone.