Oscar Pistorius was today ordered to begin a month of daily psychiatric tests to establish his state of mind when he killed girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
The South African Paralympic sprinter’s murder trial was postponed until June 30 while he is observed as an outpatient at Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital in Pretoria.
Judge Thokozile Masipa said the double-amputee athlete’s psychiatric evalutation will begin on Monday.
Pistorius must go to the hospital at 9am every weekday and will be evaluated by a panel of four mental health experts. He can leave every day at 4pm or when allowed by hospital authorities. The judge ruled that Pistorius’ period of observation will not be more than 30 days.
A psychiatrist had testified at Pistorius’ trial that he had an anxiety disorder which may have contributed to him fatally shooting girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp last year.
Pistorius denies intentionally killing his girlfriend.
He says he accidentally shot her through the toilet door in a state of panic, mistaking the 29-year-old model and law graduate for an intruder.
