Pistorius a ‘broken man’

Oscar Pistorius is a broken man who has lost everything, was the opinion of his psychologist Dr Lore Hartzenberg, who was the first witness to be called in the sentencing phase of the trial of the Olympic athlete who had been convicted of culpable homicide after the shooting death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp some 18 months ago.

The double-amputee athlete still carried photographs of Steenkamp with him and said the beautiful blonde reality star had been the “right” person for him, whom he wanted to introduce to his family and share everything in his life with. He wanted her to accompany him to athletic meetings and had even paid a deposit on a house he wanted to share with her, the court heard.

“In his heart and mind she was the one,” Hartzenberg, who testified on behalf of the defense in mitigation of sentence, said in a packed courtroom during cross-examination by state prosecutor Gerrie Nel. She also testified that Pistorius never discussed continuing with his career as an athlete but said he indicated that he would love to work with the children who attended a school in Mozambique owned by his uncle.

Hartzenberg, who treated Pistorius after the trial, said he would require intensive and on-going psychotherapy and that he suffered not only from depression, but also from a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

“During sessions feelings of guilt overwhelmed him and he had to excuse himself on several occasions,” she testified, adding that Pistorius was also saddened by the fact that he could not contact the Steenkamp family after their daughter’s death and that he could not attend her funeral or memorial service. “He remains in an unresolved spiral of grief without resolution.”

The court also heard that Pistorius was feeling worthless, devastated and guilt-ridden and that the intense media attention had a detrimental effect on him. “He had lost his relationship with Reeva Steenkamp, had lost his moral and professional reputation, lost his friends and had lost his career,” Hartzenberg said in her report.

Questioned by Nel about her claim that Pistorius had lost his career as an athlete, Hartzenberg said they had not discussed his future but only the shooting incident that left Steenkamp dead and the present.

“But he did lose his endorsements and sponsorships and as things stand now, he has lost his career,” she insisted, adding that Pistorius had lost his career, earning potential and future financial independence.

She said during therapy sessions, Pistorius had no energy or motivation to even talk about his future plans en never mentioned taking up his career as an athlete again. According to Hartzenberg, she observed true remorse and said Pistorius recognised that he had ultimately been responsible for the death of Reeva Steenkamp.

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