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psychiatric evaluation
Oscar Pistorius has been greatly affected by his disability, a sports doctor has told his murder trial.
Dr. Wayne Derman told the court in Pretoria that Oscar Pistorius suffered “significant stress and anxiety”.
Oscar Pistorius, 27, says he shot Reeva Steenkamp after mistaking her for an intruder in their house last year.
The prosecution argues that the Paralympic champion killed his girlfriend deliberately after a row.
At issue is Oscar Pistorius’ state of mind at the time of the shooting.
Oscar Pistorius has a lifetime vulnerability as a result of his disability
On Monday, the court heard he was not suffering from a mental disorder when he shot Reeva Steenkamp.
According to a psychiatrists’ report, Oscar Pistorius is capable of distinguishing between right and wrong and so should bear criminal responsibility for his actions.
The court also heard a psychologist’s assessment on Wednesday which found that Oscar Pistorius had PTSD since the shooting and could be a suicide risk.
It found he was mourning Reeva Steenkamp, a model and law graduate.
Oscar Pistorius’ lawyer, Barry Roux, has argued that his client would react more sharply to fear than an able-bodied person would because of the anxiety caused by his disability.
Wayne Derman, a professor of sports and exercise medicine at the University of Cape Town, was the final witness called by the defense.
Dr. Wayne Derman said Oscar Pistorius had had a “lifetime of real and learnt vulnerability” as a result of his disability. Disability, he said, had a “knock-on” effect through one’s entire life.
“Disability never sleeps.”
Oscar Pistorius, the professor added, also had a “profound fear of crime”.
The athlete, Wayne Derman said, had developed an “exaggerated fight response” and this was responsible for the “horrific tragedy” of Reeva Steenkamp’s death.
Oscar Pistorius says he fired multiple shots into a toilet cubicle where Reeva Steenkamp was, while in a state of panic.
The athlete and Reeva Steenkamp, 29, had been dating for about three months before the shooting.
Oscar Pistorius has often displayed his emotions during the trial, including breaking down in tears in court.
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According to a psychologist’s report submitted at Oscar Pistorius’ murder trial, the athlete has post-traumatic stress disorder and could be a suicide risk.
The report, read by Oscar Pistorius’ defense lawyer, said he was mourning his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
On Monday, the court heard that Oscar Pistorius, 27, was not suffering from a mental disorder when he shot Reeva Steenkamp.
The Paralympic champion denies murder, saying he killed Reeva Steenkamp by mistake when fearing there was an intruder in the house.
Oscar Pistorius was not suffering from a mental disorder when he shot Reeva Steenkamp (photo EMPICS)
The prosecution says the Olympic athlete deliberately killed Reeva Steenkamp, a model and law graduate, after the couple had an argument.
Both prosecution and defense have accepted the findings of the psychologist’s report.
Two reports – one by a psychologist and another by three psychiatrists – were drawn up after a month of tests to evaluate the athlete’s state of mind.
The prosecution on Monday noted that the psychiatrists’ report said Oscar Pistorius, 27, was capable of distinguishing between right and wrong and so should bear criminal responsibility for his actions.
Defense lawyer Barry Roux on Wednesday quoted the second evaluation as saying that Oscar Pistorius, a double-amputee, has a history of feeling insecure and vulnerable, especially without his prosthetic legs.
It said he was likely to react more sharply to fear than an able-bodied person would.
“Should he not receive proper clinical care, his condition is likely to worsen and increase the risks for suicide,” Barry Roux quoted the report as saying.
It also said he did not show signs of narcissism or explosive rage, which is usually seen in men who are abusive to their partners.
The court has previously heard that Reeva Steenkamp had sent the athlete a message saying: “I’m scared of you sometimes.”
Final defense witness Wayne Derman, professor of sports and exercise medicine at the University of Cape Town, said Oscar Pistorius was an anxious individual, with hand tremors and chronic problems with the stumps of his legs.
Earlier, Oscar Pistorius’ manager was cross-examined, with prosecutor Gerrie Nel concentrating on the sprinter’s reported rows with roommate Arnu Fourie and his love life.
On Tuesday, Peet van Zyl said Oscar Pistorius had become a “global icon” at the 2012 London Olympics and could have increased his income five or six times.
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Oscar Pistorius did not have a mental disorder when he killed Reeva Steenkamp, a psychological report said as his murder trial resumed in Pretoria.
The report was presented following an evaluation into his mental health.
Oscar Pistorius’ defense team has argued he was suffering from an anxiety disorder at the time of the shooting.
Oscar Pistorius did not have a mental disorder when he killed Reeva Steenkamp
Both prosecution and defense have accepted the results of the report.
The defense team is now hearing from Dr. Gerry Versfeld, who amputated Oscar Pistorius’ legs when he was just 11 months old.
Oscar Pistorius had been born without the fibulas in both of his legs but went on to become an Olympic athlete.
Dr. Gerry Versfeld is testifying about the impact of the disability on Oscar Pistorius, now 27, and to what extent he can walk without his prosthetic legs.
The defense is expected to finish presenting its evidence in the next few days.
Reeva Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model and law graduate, was shot through a toilet door at Oscar Pistorius’ house in Pretoria on Valentine’s Day last year.
The couple had been dating for three months.
“Mr. Pistorius did not suffer from a mental illness or defect that would have rendered him criminally not responsible for the offence charged,” said state prosecutor Gerrie Nel, reading from the psychologist report.
The prosecution requested the evaluation after a defense witness said the double amputee was suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder (Gad).
Oscar Pistorius underwent a month of tests as an outpatient at Weskoppies psychiatric hospital in Pretoria.
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The psychiatrist evaluating Oscar Pistorius in the trial for the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, has suffered a heart attack.
However, this is not expected to delay the trial, which resumes on June 30, the prosecution say.
Oscar Pistorius, 27, is due to complete a 30-day psychiatric assessment on Friday.
The judge in his trial ordered the tests after a defense witness said the double amputee was suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).
Oscar Pistorius denies intentionally killing Reeva Steenkamp
Oscar Pistorius denies intentionally killing his girlfriend and says he accidentally shot her through the toilet door on Valentine’s Day last year in a state of panic, mistaking the 29-year-old model and law graduate for an intruder.
The South African Paralympic champion checked in as a day patient to Pretoria’s Weskoppies psychiatric hospital on May 26, where he has been assessed by a team of health experts for seven hours a day.
Three psychiatrists and a clinical psychologist were tasked to determine whether his state of mind and disability had an effect on him when he shot Reeva Steenkamp.
South Africa’s eNCA broadcaster earlier reported that the psychiatrist’s heart attack may have caused a delay in the handing over of Oscar Pistorius’ psychiatric evaluation report.
The psychiatrist in question, Dr. Leon Fine, had not yet signed the report, according to eNCA’s website.
The prosecution had argued the tests were essential after forensic psychiatrist Merryll Vorster, who diagnosed the athlete with GAD, told the court he was “a danger to society”.
The defense vigorously opposed the move.
The court in Pretoria is expected to hear the outcome of Oscar Pistorius’ medical tests when the trial resumes on Monday.
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Oscar Pistorius has been ordered to start daily tests on Monday to assess his mental state when he killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
Judge Thokozile Masipa at Oscar Pistorius’ trial told him to attend Weskoppies psychiatric hospital in Pretoria as an outpatient for a month.
It comes after a defense witness said the double amputee was suffering from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
Oscar Pistorius, 27, denies intentionally killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
Oscar Pistorius has been ordered to start daily tests to assess his mental state
He says he accidentally shot his girlfriend through the toilet door on Valentine’s Day last year in a state of panic, mistaking the 29-year-old model and law graduate for an intruder.
The prosecution had argued the tests were essential after forensic psychiatrist Merryll Vorster told the court in Pretoria the double amputee was “a danger to society”.
But the defense vigorously opposed the move.
Judge Thokozile Masipa said on Wednesday that four appointed psychiatrists would “inquire into whether the accused by reason of mental illness or mental defect was at the time of the commission of the offence criminally responsible for the offence as charged”.
She said the team would decide whether he was “capable of appreciating the wrongfulness of his act”.
Court proceedings were adjourned until June 30.
Legal experts say that the case may well hinge on the judge’s understanding of the athlete’s state of mind when he pulled the trigger.
They say the prosecution is keen to show that the defense keeps changing its reasons why Oscar Pistorius fired his gun – from putative self-defense, to accidental shooting, and now to something linked to his anxiety disorder.
Last week Judge Thokozile Masipa said that the criminal code stipulates that if an accused person is alleged not to be criminally responsible or is alleged to be mentally ill, he should be evaluated.
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Oscar Pistorius has been ordered to undergo a mental evaluation, the judge at his Pretoria murder trial has ruled.
Judge Thokozile Masipa ruled that psychiatric evidence before the court could not replace “a proper inquiry” into his mental health.
Correspondents say the trial, which began in March, will almost certainly now face a lengthy delay.
The prosecution argued on Tuesday that psychiatric tests were essential and that he should be referred.
Oscar Pistorius has been ordered to undergo a mental evaluation
But the defense vigorously opposed the move.
Oscar Pistorius denies intentionally killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day last year.
He says he accidentally shot her through the toilet door in a state of panic, mistaking the 29-year-old model and law graduate for an intruder.
Oscar Pistorius could be evaluated for a minimum of 30 days at a psychiatric faculty as a result of the evaluation order.
In her ruling Judge Thokozile Masipa said that the South African criminal code stipulates that if an accused person is alleged not to be criminally responsible or is alleged to be mentally ill, he should be evaluated.
She said that such an evaluation would ensure that Oscar Pistorius would get a fair trial, adding it would be “preferable” for him to undergo the evaluation as an outpatient.
Prosecution lawyer Gerrie Nel made the referral application on Tuesday after forensic psychiatrist Merryll Vorster said earlier that the double amputee was suffering from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
Gerrie Nel said that the disorder diagnosis left him with no choice but to apply for an evaluation because the condition might have affected Oscar Pistorius’ behavior on the night he killed Reeva Steenkamp.
Legal experts say that the case may well hinge on the judge’s understanding of the athlete’s state of mind when he pulled the trigger.
They say the prosecution is keen to show that the defense keeps changing its reasons why Oscar Pistorius fired his gun – from putative self-defense, to accidental shooting, and now to something linked to his anxiety disorder.
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Norwegian mass killer Anders Behring Breivik has been found sane enough to face trial and a jail term after a second psychiatric evaluation.
The findings contradict a previous evaluation, published in November, that found him legally insane.
Anders Breivik, 33, is due to stand trial on Monday over a bomb attack and shooting spree last July that killed 77 people.
He insists he is mentally stable and was “pleased” with the new assessment, his lawyer said.
Geir Lippestad told reporters his client would defend his actions during his 10-week trial, adding, “he will also regret that he didn’t go further”.
Both reports will be considered by the court when it decides, at the end of the trial, whether he should be sent to a psychiatric ward or jail.
If Anders Breivik is deemed to have been sane at the time of the killings then he could face 21 years in prison with the potential for indefinite extensions to his term as long as he is considered a danger to the public.
Norwegian mass killer Anders Behring Breivik has been found sane enough to face trial and a jail term after a second psychiatric evaluation
The second evaluation was approved by a court in January following widespread criticism of last year’s assessment that concluded he was psychotic at the time of the attacks and diagnosed him as a paranoid schizophrenic – meaning he would most likely be detained in psychiatric care.
Many of his surviving victims believed he was sane, and that the only proper punishment would be a prison sentence.
“Our conclusion is that he was not psychotic at the time of the actions of terrorism and he is not psychotic now,” psychiatrist Terje Toerrissen, who carried out the second assessment with fellow psychiatrist Agnar Aspaas, told the Associated Press.
The full report is confidential, and the two psychiatrists will give their reasons for arriving at a different conclusion to the first team of experts when they testify during the trial, AP reports.
Anders Breivik was charged with terror offences last month.
Prosecutors said at the time they were prepared to accept that he was criminally insane and would therefore seek compulsory psychiatric care, but they reserved the right to alter that view if new elements emerged about his mental health.
Anders Breivik has always admitted carrying out the attacks, saying they were an atrocious but necessary part of a “crusade” against multi-culturalism and Islam. He denies charges of terrorism.
In a recent letter to Norwegian tabloid Verdans Gang, Anders Breivik said being sent to a psychiatric ward would be a “fate worse than death”.
“To send a political activist to an asylum is more sadistic and more evil than killing him!” he wrote.
The attacks on July 22, 2011, were the worst act of violence Norway has seen since World War II, and have had a profound impact on the country.
Anders Breivik disguised himself as a police officer to plant a car bomb that exploded close to government offices in Oslo, killing eight people and wounding 209.
Still in uniform, he then drove to the island of Utoeya, where a summer youth camp of Norway’s governing Labour Party was being held.
In a shooting spree that lasted more than an hour, he killed 67 people – mostly teenagers – and wounded 33, while a further two people died falling or drowning.
According to prosecutors, nearly 900 people were affected by the two attacks – 325 in Oslo and 564 on Utoeya.
• Eight people killed and 209 injured by bomb in Oslo
• 69 people killed on Utoeya, of them 34 aged between 14 and 17
• 33 injured on Utoeya
• Nearly 900 people affected by attacks
