Popular radio host John Robbie was first to castigate the paper for the images.
South Africa’s The New Age newspaper has sparked a heated debate after splashing pictures of crime scene images of slain model Reeva Steenkamp on its front page on Thursday.
Judge Thokozile Masipa on Wednesday lifted the ban on the publishing of six crime scene images following a State order during the original trial to protect the family.
State prosecutor Gerrie Nel lodged an application that post-mortem images be printed following an emotional plea by Reeva’s father Barry Steenkamp on Tuesday.
“What I would like the world to see are the wounds inflicted on Reeva and the pain she must have gone through,” Mr Steenkamp said on Tuesday.
“The parents of the deceased, who are her legal guardians, have given permission for the release of the images. What people do with (the photographs) they have to bear the consequences. We think it is time people see what the accused did,” Mr Nel said.
On Thursday morning, The New Age carried one of the pictures with the headline “Pic Reeva’s dad wants you to see”.
The photo shows the bloodied head of Ms Steenkamp after she was shot by Pistorius, who maintains he mistook her for a possible intruder when he shot through a bathroom door on Valentine’s Day in 2013.
Popular radio host John Robbie was first to castigate the paper for the images.
However, several other people took to social networks to say it was right to print the images.
“At least now people will know what this man did to the poor girl,” Sizakele Mhlanga wrote on Facebook.
Martin Nkange wrote: “Oscar walked on his stumps in court to get sympathy, let the pictures be shown so that the Steenkamps can also get sympathy from the world.”
The State says the former athlete was found negligent and should be handed, at least, 15 years in jail. Pistorius will know his fate in exactly three weeks after Judge Masipa set July 6 as his sentencing date.
Mr Nel slammed Pistorius for giving an interview to British broadcaster ITV while “not in a good state to testify in court”.
The documentary is scheduled to be aired next week on Friday.
“Whilst awaiting this sentence, he has given a television interview, explaining himself, talking about that night. What the court has heard is the accused elected to give an interview on TV, but not testify in court.
That’s disrespectful to the court, and disrespectful to the victims,” said Mr Nel.
Defence advocate Barry Roux told the court that the disability will make his time in jail unbearable.
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