People will take the law into their own hands if killers get sentences like house arrest and community service, the High Court in Pretoria heard this morning.“Society will lose trust in the judiciary. They will take the law into their own hands,” prosecutor Gerrie Nel told social worker and parole officer Annette Vergeer during sentencing proceedings for paralympian Oscar Pistorius. He was cross-examining her on her report on Pistorius, which she presented for the defence during proceedings. Pistorius was found guilty last month of the culpable homicide of Reeva Steenkamp, his girlfriend. In Vergeer’s report, which the defence had paid her to compile, she recommended that the paralympic athlete get three years of correctional supervision and 16 hours of community service a month for killing Steenkamp. “Would you agree with me, madam, that society demands that if you kill someone there should be a harsh punishment?” Vergeer paused before answering. “I cannot dispute that, but you have to look at the circumstances, at the accused in totality.” Nel propped his foot on his chair and draped his robe over his leg. “The accused armed himself, walked to a bathroom, shot four times, caused a horrible death. Don’t you think society...
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