by Deona Hooper, MSW
Oscar Pistorius, Olympic athlete known as the Blade Runner, is sitting in a South African jail awaiting a hearing after being arrested on Valentine’s Day for killing his girlfriend. Reeva Steenkamp, model and law school graduate, was found dead in the runner’s home from a gunshot wound. News reports state that Reeva’s career was beginning to take off with a new reality tv show set to premiere. Reports have described her as a very caring and kind person. As recently as four days ago, Reeva sent out a tweet encouraging her followers to speak out against rape and violence against women. Currently, there are conflicting reports on how this Valentine’s Day tragedy occurred. News reports suggest that Pistorius may have shot his girlfriend accidentally by misidentifying her as an intruder. However, police reports show that there has been prior domestic disturbances at his home. It’s not clear if those disturbances occurred with the recently deceased Reeva Steenkamp.
Pistorius gained world fame as a double amputee who uses carbon fiber prosthesis to run in the 2012 Olympics. Although, he did not win Olympic gold his participation in the Olympics made history and made him a household name. Nike has pulled it’s commercial of Pistorius which coin the term “Bullet Out the Chamber” for the advertisement. Only time will tell about how this story will unfold.
View the Tweet by Reeva Steenkamp encouraging others to speak out against rape.
I woke up in a happy safe home this morning. Not everyone did. Speak out against the rape of individuals… http://t.co/c0XXuypb
— Reeva Steenkamp (@reevasteenkamp) February 10, 2013
Photo Courtesy of http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/sport/olympics/article3687963.ece
