Welcome to my one day in the week, where I let loose and have a rant. I try to keep my blog a reasonably happy, upbeat place, or at least not rant all the time, but Friday is my day to get things that are bothering me off my chest. It may be about parenting, politics, or something I have seen or have happened to in my week, that I just need to have a little chunter about. I personally think a good rant can be therapeutic. If you have a rant, of your own, please feel free to add a link to it, in the comment section.
So, I have kept my opinions on the Oscar Pistorious trial to myself, mainly apart from the odd tweet, in disgust as the media circles like vultures, and I feel desperately sorry for the family of Reeva Steenkamp, having to not only loose her, but now have to go through this trial, in the glare of the ever voracious media (No, I don’t think it should be televised, I haven’t watched more than bits of it reported here and there on the news)
Apparently this week, his legal defence team, are placing a claim, based on testimony by a forensic psychiatrist, that he is suffering from an anxiety disorder, which may have caused him to react the way he did. The trial now looks likely to be postponed, while he is assessed as an outpatient, to see if he really is suffering with an anxiety disorder, and the outcome of this will affect his trial and what happens. It could be a lengthy delay, and more agony as Reeva’s family wait for an outcome.
I am NOT a medical professional, I am not a judge, or an expert, and I don’t know what is going on in his head, I guess that’s why he is being taken for assessment. What I don’t understand is that why they are bringing this up NOW? 2/3rds of the way through his trial, sort of trying to slip it in there “oh, he has anxiety, that’s made him paranoid about safety, he thought she was a burglar, he shot her, but he’s mentally unwell, so it’s all ok” and now they are trying to say tests to ascertain if he actually does have this issue aren’t necessary. (perhaps because they are clutching at straws and hoping to add to their defence and find reasons for why he did what he did)
I don’t know about you, dear reader, but as someone suffering from an anxiety disorder, myself, this makes me really angry. If of course, he is diagnosed with AD, then it will explain some of his behaviours and actions – not excuse them, you cannot claim to be mentally unwell, kill someone and walk away as if nothing had happened. But the casual way it has just been dropped into the case and the scalded cat reaction his defence team put on when the judge rightfully decided that this might be very important in how the case carries on, and that he needs to be assessed makes me cross. You cannot make a claim like “he has an anxiety issue” then expect everyone to go “oh, OK, that’s fine” and not investigate. Why now? Why not at the beginning of the trial, or even before hand? I think the fact that he now has to face assessment and analysis by a mental health team, which could be some time, and possibly even spend time in a psychiatric unit, is probably not what he or his defence team had planned, and I cannot imagine he or the team are pleased.
The trite use of a mental health problem, to try and justify what happened, and hoping to gain sympathy, is just sad and sick. Maybe he does have issues, maybe the best place for him is a mental health facility.
The whole trial is sad, undignified, and cruel for Reeva’s family, to face, this added delay and diversion just adds to that. I hope that justice is served, I truly don’t think he has an anxiety disorder, I think he has huge issues, but I think this claim stinks.
That’s my rant for this week. Feel free to share yours in the comment section.