Pistorius Punished, Once, Twice..
Judge Masipa made it clear that she did not wish for Oscar Pistorius to be punished twice, therefore as part of the Referral Conditions, she preferred that he not be detained as an inpatient during the mental health evaluation,but that he be an out-patient.
Why Judge Masipa would consider being referred for evaluation as a punishment at all is a mystery.
If an accused person, does have mental health problems, or it is suspected that they may suffer a mental health disorder, is it not only fair and just that this be taken into consideration, to assist, help the accused, and not be thought of as a punishment.
Judge Masipa clearly considered the referral of Pistorius as a punishment, and more to the point, she felt that if he was to be admitted to a mental health hospital as an inpatient that this would be further punishment, punished not once, but twice!
This sends out the wrong message on several levels, not least that:
1. That those suffering from mental health issues, their evaluation and any necessary treatment which may follow is a punishment, and not a means to aiding these persons. There has always been a stigma regarding mental health issues. Judge Masipa most definitely by her statement, encouraging, what can only be seen as discrimination against the mentally ill.
Why else would she consider it a punishment for Pistorius to have to spend time at a facility where others suffer from mental health disorders?
Does she consider that all other patients there are being punished in some way, or is it just Pistorius who she considers will be punished by having to spend time among the mentally ill?
Mental health patients just like those who suffer physical disorders, are all patients being treated with a view to improving, curing, treating whatever their condition.
Of course to those of sound mind the thought of spending time in a mental health facility would be daunting - and I believe Pistorius is of sound mind, and that is the big problem for him. He thought he would use a 'mental health disorder' or whatever is the term for this GAD, to better his case, never imagining that it would have the result which it has.
Now, he doesn't want to be among those who may suffer if not the same condition, as he claims to being suffering from, but similar conditions, a condition he paid a psychiatrist to state he had to bolster his defence.
Pistorius - The boy who cried wolf! The guy who was not for a second thinking of the family of Miss Steenkamp when he and his legal team plotted and planned, employed at the eleventh hour a psychiatrist to claim he was a poor soul, who had suffered life long with GAD - crap! He was only thinking of himself - his defence case was fast going down the pan, and they knew it!
I feel for the Steenkamp's, what must they now be going through now wondering how this will end, if it will end in justice for their beautiful daughter, so cruelly taken from them by not a man suffering from GAD, a guy who cannot control his anger, his temper, and who in this state deliberately shot and killed Miss Reeva Steenkamp. Of that there is not a doubt in my mind.
2. That Pistorius is receiving preferential treatment.
One has to wonder though, the difference in being assessed as an out-patient, than an in-patient what it will mean in terms of a mental health evaluation.
Surely monitoring, in this case, Pistorius on a 24 hour basis, would be advantageous to those assessing his mental health?
l-azzeri-lies-in-the-sun.com
20th May 2014
