Olympian athlete Oscar Pistorius, charged with the Valentine's Day murder of his girlfriend, is not suicidal, his family announced Monday.
Pistorius "is in deep mourning but despite the tragic circumstances he is certainly not suicidal," said a statement issued by Pistorius' uncle, Arnold Pistorius. He said Pistorius has support from his family.
"From the moment we were first informed about the dreadful event of the early morning of 14 February 2013, we have worked hard to come to terms with the sad news of Reeva Steenkamp's death and Oscar's role in it," said the uncle.
"Oscar, broken as he currently is, believes he has a purpose in life and is working towards that," said Arnold Pistorius.
The family's denial comes after reports that Pistorius was distraught and contemplating taking his life. Reports also said that Pistorius is facing financial ruin over the upcoming murder trial.
"The family doesn't deny that Oscar's legal expenses are massive and that he has sold off some of his investments, including his racehorses," said the statement. "Oscar will evaluate the cost situation on a day-to-day basis and make decisions as required."
The family statement came as Pistorius' lawyers filed an appeal in a South African court against bail restrictions imposed on the disabled athlete, according to papers released by the Pistorius family on Monday.
"The conditions appealed against are unwarranted and not substantiated by the facts," said the appeal, which was filed Friday in Pretoria, the South African capital.
State prosecutors said they would contest the Pistorius appeal, though a court date on the matter had not yet been set.
"As the state, we are going to oppose that application," said Medupe Simasiku, regional spokesman for the National Prosecuting Authority, to The Associated Press.
The appeal reflected the robust defense strategy of lawyers for Pistorius, who has been staying at his uncle Arnold's home in a Pretoria suburb since he was released on bail on Feb. 22.
It is a delicate balance because the Pistorius family has also sought to keep a low profile, expressing sorrow for the death of Steenkamp. Pistorius says he mistakenly shot Steenkamp, thinking she was an intruder in his home. Prosecutors argue he killed her intentionally after an argument.
AP received a copy of the court papers by email from representatives of the Pistorius family. The appeal was prepared by Ramsay Webber, a legal firm based in Johannesburg.
In the papers, lawyers for the double-amputee athlete argued against the requirement that he surrender all passports and travel documents, and refrain from applying for such documents pending the end of his case.
The lawyers said evidence presented at the athlete's bail hearing showed he is not a flight risk and should have the option of traveling outside South Africa as long as he has official permission.
The appeal also said there was "no basis in fact or in law" justifying terms under which Pistorius must be supervised by a probation officer and a correctional official.
Officials will visit Pistorius at his uncle's home at least four times a month, according to James Smalberger, chief deputy commissioner of the department of correctional services, who spoke to The Associated Press last month.
"He's not under house arrest, but his movements need to be known to us so that we don't pitch there and he's not there," Smalberger had said. "We agree on 'free time' normally during the course of the day, and in the evening we expect him to be home."
The appeal against the bail conditions also objected to the requirement that Pistorius refrain from using alcohol or any banned substance, even though he had no intention of doing so.
"The mere use of any substance with alcohol in it will give rise to a transgression of the wide condition imposed," the appeal said.
In addition, the runner should be allowed access to the property at Silverwoods Country Estate where he shot Steenkamp, once the state completes its investigations there within a "reasonable time limit," according to Pistorius' legal camp.
"A blanket restriction on speaking to residents is unfair" and infringes on Pistorius' rights to consult people on the estate to prepare for his trial, the appeal said.
Chief Magistrate Desmond Nair had set bail at 1 million rand ($113,000). The 26-year-old track star was also ordered to turn in any guns he owns, and cannot leave the district of Pretoria without his probation officer's permission.
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Oscar Pistorius' alleged murder of girlfriend Reeva Sttenkamp has shocked and captivated not just the country of South Africa, where Pistorius is a national hero, but the entire world. Not only have there been many twists and turns already in the Pistorius case, but others involved in the case have also encountered their own troubles, making it a tangled web indeed. Here are those twists and turns in the Pistorius saga.
Photo: Getty Images
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Before he was charged with the murder of Reeva Steenkamp, Oscar Pistorius was one of the most celebrated athletes in the world. He was the first double amputee to win a medal in an able-bodied meet in the 2011 World Championships, and he became the first amputee to participate in the Olympics when he ran in two events for South Africa in London in 2012. That's what makes the recent events seem all the more shocking.
Photo: Getty Images
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Reeva Steenkamp, also a South African, had been a model since the age of 14, appearing in magazines like FHM, where she was ranked #40 in the 100 Sexiest Women's issue in 2011 and 45 in 2012. She also applied to the bar, and hoped to be a qualified legal advocate by age 30.
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The pair met in November 2012 and started dating.
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On Valentine's Day 2013, Pistorius fired four shots into the bathroom door, killing Steenkamp. Police reports say witnesses had heard the couple arguing before the shots were fired.
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Pistorius was questioned by police for hours, then left the station with his head down and covered by a hoodie to avoid photographers. Police said they had been called to Pistorius' home before to intercede in domestic disputes.
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Pistorius told those in the courtroom four days later that it had been an accidental shooting, that he thought Steenkamp was a robber, and he sobbed as his lawyer read his statement. The prosecution countered that it was premeditated murder.
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On the same day, Reeva Steenkamp's family and friends said good-bye to her in a service in the family hometown of Port Elizabeth. Steenkamp was cremated.
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Then the case took another strange twist, as people involved in the case suddenly became involved in crimes of their own. The first domino to fall was Hilton Botha, the lead detective in the Pistorius murder case. On Feb. 21, attempted murder charges were brought against him for firing into a minibus full of passengers in 2011.
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Then, three days later, it was revealed that Pistorius' older brother Carl (left, with sister Aimee), was on trial for culpable homicide for killing a female motorcyclist in 2008.
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Feb. 22, Pistorius was released on bail for $113,000 and the case was postponed until June 4. He was also ordered to hand over firearms and his two South African passports, avoid his home and all witnesses, report to a police station twice a week and abstain from drinking alcohol.
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The trial so far has been a media circus, with television, newspaper and radio reporters camping out at the Pretoria police station to wait for Pistorius to emerge.
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Then, on Feb. 26, another bombshell, as the judge in the case, Magistrate Desmond Nair, confirmed that he is the first cousin of a woman who killed her two children and then committed suicide last weekend.
Photo: New York Daily News
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On the evening of Feb. 26, Pistorius held a private memorial service of his own for Steenkamp at the home of his uncle Arnold, where Pistorius has been staying since he was released on bail.
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One life lost, several others shattered. How many more twists will the Oscar Pistorius case take before it's conclusion? And what surprises lay ahead in this most unorthodox of events? We won't know until the trial begins June 4.
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