The Reeva Steenkamp murder investigation has been completed, and police have announced their intention to indict Olympian Oscar Pistorius in the model’s death.
Blade Runner Oscar Pistorius will be indicted in the death of model Reeva Steenkamp, South African authorities announced today.
Police spokesman Lt. Gen. Solomon Makgale told the AP that the investigation team is convinced Pistorius has a charge to answer. The former Olympian, who has been spotted running again to help clear his mind, will appear in court for pre-trial business.
“It is expected that he will be served with an indictment and that the matter will be postponed. The prosecution, in collaboration with the defense team, will agree on a trial date,” police said in a statement.
In the South African legal system, an indictment means the case will be moved from a lower to high court.
Pistorius claims the shooting was an accident and that he mistook Steenkamp for a burglar. The prosecution’s case was not very convincing in the bail portion of the court procedures back in February, with police mishandling of evidence uncovered and the lead detective dismissed while facing murder charges of his own.
Meanwhile, regardless of the outcome of the criminal case, the Steenkamp family plans to sue Pistorius over the death of their daughter for lost wages, claiming she was supporting them during a time of financial difficulty.
“Our hearts just feel broken. But we have no choice but to sue. Pistorius has placed us in this position,” mother June Steenkamp told The Mail on Sunday in June.
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“We are struggling financially. Reeva was helping us. On the night she died, when she was on her way to Oscar’s house, we talked about her sending us money to pay our cable television bill. I was fretting because I thought I was going to miss her first TV appearance. She told me not to worry, she would send money the next day. She regularly helped us with food and utility bills.”
“I know not everyone understands why we are doing this,” father Barry Steenkamp added when asked about the public outcry surrounding their suit. “It makes me feel awkward, a bit guilty and terrible when people say these awful things. It’s shocking and hurts us so much as a family.”
Neither parent plans to attend the murder trial or any court dates surrounding it.
“People asked us if we would go to court for the bail hearing, or when he comes up for the murder trial,” June said. “But there is nothing further from our minds, it is not possible that we could sit through that or lay eyes on Pistorius. We just couldn’t do it.”
Pistorius is due in court on Monday.
Photo courtesy Getty Images
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