Oscar Pistorius's family threatens legal action over new Lifetime movie

The family of Oscar Pistorius is threatening legal action against the producers of a new film.

The Lifetime TV movie, called ‘Oscar Pistorius: Blade Runner Killer’, unveiled its first trailer yesterday, and has been slammed by both the Pistorius family and the family of Reeva Steenkamp, who Pistorius shot dead in 2013.

“The ‘film’ was made with blatant disregard of both the Steenkamp and Pistorius families‚ as well as complete disregard for Reeva and Oscar‚” said the Pistorius family said in a statement.

“Neither Oscar‚ the defence or the family were involved in the production of this ‘film’ in anyway.”

The trailer mocks up the events of the night when Olympic runner Pistorius shot Steenkamp, his girlfriend, through a bathroom door. He claimed that he thought there was a burglar in the house.

The Pistorius family added that the film does not truly reflect either the events of the night in question, nor the consequent trial.

“The ‘film’ titled ‘Oscar Pistorius – The Blade Runner Killer’ is a gross distortion of the findings of the court. Oscar was subjected to a month long psychological evaluation which was insisted upon by the prosecution; the psychological evaluation of Oscar was undertaken by leading minds in the field‚” the statement continues.

“Oscar was subjected to in depth assessments and on-going tests almost daily for a month long; at no stage was Oscar found to have the mind of a killer.

“The ‘film’ is rather a representation of what the prosecution tried to portray. We will be taking legal action.”

June and Barry Steenkamp also said that they were not consulted in the making of the film.

“Any impression that is created that this is June’s view, or that the movie is endorsed by the Steenkamp family, is untrue and incorrect,” they said.

The South African athlete was found guilty of culpable homicide in 2014, receiving a five-year sentence and a three year suspended sentence for a separate reckless endangerment conviction.

But prosectors appealed the conviction, and in 2016, the culpable homicide charge was overturned and he was sentenced to six years for Steenkamp’s murder.

The film stars Andreas Damm as Pistorius and Toni Garrn as Steenkamp.

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