Oscar Pistorius suffered a "severe depression" that will prevent him from testifying at the hearing that begins today in Pretoria and in which the penalty to be enforced by the murder of his girlfriend decide, told the court a psychologist called by the defense.
"It presents signs of post-traumatic disorders, anxiety and depression," said psychologist Jonathan Scholtz during the first day of the hearing, which could last until Friday.
Reading the psychological report prepared at the request of the defense, Scholtz said Pistorius taking antidepressant medication and suffer from social phobia and paranoia.
Pistorius, 29, shot and killed his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp, the morning of February 14, 2013 at his home in Pretoria.
The judge who judged accepted his version of events and sentenced him to five years in prison for a crime of murder, but the conviction was overturned by the Supreme Court, which found him guilty of murder.
The decision on his sentence now corresponds to the Pretoria High Court that convicted him in first instance.
South African law provides for a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison for crimes of murder, which however can be reduced if the court finds that circumstances exist for it.
After the statement of defense witnesses and argument Pistorius's lawyer, Barry Roux to seek a lighter sentence will be the turn of the prosecution, to be presented to the judge thokozile masipa arguments for a tougher sentence.
Pistorius already spent a year in jail serving time for murder and lives under house arrest in her family's mansion in Pretoria since he was released from prison for good behavior last October 20.
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