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Oscar Pistorius Convicted of Murder
When I say I’m from South Africa people who are ‘in the know’ often associate my country with a bad president and ‘that Oscar Pistorius guy.’
So I felt I needed to write about what I think of all of this, because many of you are just getting snip-bits on the news, and might wonder what a girl like me who lives in South Africa feels about the case.
It might be a bit of a mystery-murder scandal for some, but for me it is deeper than that. I have been following this case from the beginning. And even though at times I admittedly got sucked into the drama, my heart has always been with Reeva and what it means for a young woman’s life to be taken away the way it did.
Unfortunately, nobody will ever really know what happened that night because Reeva and Oscar were alone in the house. But what we do know is, Reeva’s life was taken away… and so was her voice.
As a woman in South Africa, the Department of Justice estimates that 1 out of every 4 are survivors of domestic violence.
Now I am not saying that Reeva was a victim of domestic violence before she died, we don’t know that. What I’m trying to paint is Reeva as a heart-breaking symbol for many other women is South Africa. Women who’s voices are muted by the system.
Armed with a gun, a model and gold medals, Oscar lived a life he needed to dominate, and Reeva was sadly not exempt from his negligent patriarchy.
Like so many other women who are subjected to violence, there is no escape, and a cry for help is too often swallowed or ignored.
But I think today marks an incredible moment in history. Finally, voices have been heard! No longer can a man get away with murder, no matter how ‘mucho’ and white-privileged he is.
And even though Reeva is no longer here, I feel her tragic loss of voice has finally spoken for itself, and will hopefully echo for decades to come.
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