Oscar Pistorius Trial Latest News: Blood Money Payments Overshadow Sentencing

In a new development that adds further fuel to the Oscar Pistorius controversy, the famous "Blade Runner" from South Africa was reported to have offered a sum of $33,000 to the parents of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp whom he shot to death in November 2012.

Pistorius is currently awaiting sentencing after a court cleared him of the murder charge but found him guilty of the less serious charge of culpable homicide.

As he awaits the court's sentence, the prosecution's attorney Gerrie Nel revealed that Pistorius attempted to pay off the Steenkamps. However, Steenkamp's parents were reported to have eventually rejected the offer after considering it because they felt that Pistorius was paying them "blood money" after he killed their daughter. The development has added a new dimension to the sentencing phase and has dominated all other proceedings.

The reported financial offering that Pistorius made to the Steenkamps' was revealed by Annette Vergeer, a probation officer who ironically happens to be a defense witness. She said Pistorius tried to make the payment upon knowing that the Steenkamps were facing financial difficulties. He also wanted the monthly payment for "rent and expenses" to remain confidential.

The New York Times quotes the Steenkamps' lawyer Dup de Bruyn that the proposed payment, amounting to $550 per month, was first made in March 2013 and that Pistorius continued to make the offer until last month. The lawyer also said the Steenkamps had planned to adjust the payments when a civil suit for damages was settled. But they have since dropped plans for a civil claim. De Bruyn also mentioned how the Steenkamps' other lawyers had asked Pistorius for a one-time payment without their client's knowledge. As for the sum of $33,000, Pistorius was reported to have placed it in a trust fund and the Steenkamps can access it later if they need it.

Another focus in the trial has been on the South African prison system with Zac Modise, the Acting Commissioner of Correctional Services, stating that Pistorius, being a double amputee, would have all the necessary facilities in prison in case he receives a jail sentence. This was in response to Vergeer who expressed concern that prisons in South Africa may not have suitable facilities for someone like Pistorius, adding that the famous athlete could be raped in jail.