Pistorius Arrives at Hospital for Psychiatric Assessment

Oscar Pistorius went to a state psychiatric hospital as ordered last week by the judge at his murder trial.

13:17 27 May 2014

As Oscar Pistorius’ murder trial reached its ninth week, Judge Thokozile Matilda Masipa ordered him to undergo a maximum 30 days of psychiatric assessment after a forensic psychiatrist who testified for the defense, said that the double-amputee track star suffered from a general anxiety disorder dating to the amputation of both his legs below the knee before his first birthday. 

 

On Monday, Mr Pistorius arrived at Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital escorted by a police van. News photographers were all over the place trying to get pictures of him. He was seen leaving the facility several hours later. 

 

Judge Masipa’s decision for psychiatric evaluation aims to determine whether the athlete was criminally responsible for his action when he shot his 29-year-old girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in the early hours of February 14, 2013. He denies the charge and has previously said that he shot her by accident as he was mistaken her for an intruder. The experts are supposed to rule on whether he could tell the difference between right and wrong when he opened fire. 

 

If convicted, he may spend a minimum of 25 years in prison.