Oscar Pistorius Awaits Manslaughter Verdict

September 12, 2014

(The Wall Street Journal) – The trial has also captivated a vast audience abroad. Journalists tweeted and transcribed every moment of proceedings that traced Mr. Pistorius’s transformation from a fearless competitor to a shaky witness in his own murder trial, who claimed that a lifetime of insecurity bred by his disability clouded his judgment as he confronted an unseen intruder the night the 29-year-old Ms. Steenkamp was killed. “The accused isn’t unique in this respect. Women, children the elderly and all those with limited mobility would fall under the same category,” Ms. Masipa said Thursday, one of several admonishments she delivered to Mr. Pistorius, backing up her reputation as a judge tough on men who harm their partners.