Even realistic woman-shaped crutches failed to sway the jury.
Oscar Pistorius has been hailed by the Equalities Commission for smashing the last taboo for disabled people.
After sort-of-standing trial for a crime typically associated with the able bodied, Pistorius has shown the world that the disadvantaged are just as capable of evil as the next man.
“This is a huge step forward in recognising that having a disability doesn’t exclude anyone for acting like a prick”, said commissioner Margaret Long. “You don’t have to have a full complement of limbs to shoot down a loved one in cold blood, and being differently abled no longer means cynically playing the victim card will definitely get you off. It may reduce the charge, but it won’t get you off.”
Before Pistorius stepped up to the mark and pretended to shoot a burglar, homicide had been considered by many to be the preserve of ‘normal’ people. “But the physically disabled can be mentals too, you don’t need toes to fire a gun”, revealed Long.
Oscar Pistorius dedicated much of his life to showing that disabilities can be overcome. “And by shooting his girlfriend he’s proved once and for all that everyone is capable of abhorrent crimes. In some ways, Oscar is a hero”, claimed Long. “But in most other ways, he’s clearly not.”
Justice Thokozile Masipa is due to sentence Pistorius on 13 October with a long prison sentence being a real possibility. “For many of us, a long stint inside would be the sign of a real breakthrough for the disabled community”, said Long. “If this case had taken place in California, most judges would have looked at Pistorius and only seen the chair.”
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