South African Olympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius may face new charges
Oscar Pistorius, the double amputee Olympic sprinter, may face additional charges when he is indicted Monday for the Valentine’s Day killing of his girlfriend, according to news reports.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Medupe Simasiku told the Associated Press on Friday that Pistorius would be formally charged with premeditated murder in the death of model Reeva Steenkamp, who would have turned 30 on Monday.
Other charges could be added to the indictment, Simasiku said without elaborating.
He declined to comment on South African media reports that Pistorius could also be charged with recklessly discharging a firearm in two other incidents.
Members of Pistorius’ legal team said they expected to receive a copy of the indictment before Monday’s hearing at the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court.
The case was postponed in June to allow police to complete their investigation, which they did this week.
Pistorius, 26, says he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder and shot her through the door of a bathroom toilet closet. Prosecutors allege that she locked herself in the closet to hide following an argument.
Pistorius, who is known as the “Blade Runner,” became an international celebrity for competing in the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London on prosthetic legs.
Pistorius’ lower legs were amputated when he was a young child because he was born without fibula bones.
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