Oscar Pistorius - Where Did It All Go Wrong?

By Jack Goldstein

In the early hours of the morning on Thursday the 14th of February 2013, world famous athlete Oscar Pistorius shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp dead. Pistorius claims that it was a mistake - he thought it was a burglar. The police claim that it was a premeditated murder.
This book offers the reader a quick-read biography of Pistorius's life, his amazing achievements as an athlete, and the events of that one tragic night. It looks at the facts put forward so far by each party, and asks a number of questions about the version of events given by the prosecution and the defence.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AUK Authors
• Release date: Jun 10, 2013
• ISBN: 9781783330713

Book preview

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One: The Early Years

Born This Way

On the twenty-second of November 1986 in an area of South Africa which (at the time) was called the Transvaal, Sheila Pistorius gave birth to a unique child. Sadly, this child was born without a fibula in either of his legs. As any parent of a disabled child will know, one still loves the child unconditionally - perhaps even more so - and the most important thing is to ensure they can live as ordinary and inclusive a life as possible. Now Sheila and her husband Henke would have to do this for their new-born baby - Oscar.

Oscar’s condition is called fibular hemimelia. Little is known about the causes of the disorder, with suggestions from the medical profession including maternal viral infections, vascular dysgenesis and even embryonic trauma. For Oscar’s parents however, how he had been born in such a way was no longer important - what mattered was how best to help him through life.

There are two key options available to those with the condition. The first is amputation, the second are a series of treatments to lengthen what bone is available. Whilst the second option may sound less drastic, for those with the most extreme forms of the disorder, amputation is the only solution. Besides, leg-lengthening surgery is extremely costly (which in this day and age is still sadly a factor to consider) and can cause further problems with no guarantee of resolving the original deformity.

It was therefore recommended to Sheila and Henke that when he was at an age where surgery was safe, Oscar should have both his legs amputated. Although the child would certainly face many difficulties throughout his life, he could learn how to overcome mobility issues at a very early age. Oscar’s parents agreed, and when he reached the age of just eleven months, a highly skilled team of surgeons amputated both of his legs below the knee.

And thus Oscar’s life began down a path which would lead to amazing heights of success... but also some terrible and tragic difficulties.

Growing Up

Oscar progressed perhaps better than anyone could have hoped. As his prosthetics were all he knew, he learned to handle himself exceptionally well in them. To him, walking and running with other children were just normal activities - yes, his legs were a little different, but why should that stop him joining in the fun?

In fact, it was from such an early age that Oscar’s determination started to shine through. Rarely did he complain that things were hard for him, or ask to be treated differently. In fact, Oscar’s wish was always for inclusion - for people not to treat him as if he was special, but to see him as just another child.

And - for the most part -