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Pistorius' family break silence

ESPN staff
February 16, 2013
Oscar Pistorius' bail hearing is on Tuesday © AP
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Oscar Pistorius' family have broken their silence over the charges of premeditated murder which the paralympic athlete is facing, and have protested his innocence.

Pistorius is in police detention in South Africa after his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp was shot dead in his home in Pretoria earlier this week.

Pistorius' uncle, Arnold Pistorius, told the media: "After consulting with legal representatives, we deeply regret the allegation of premeditated murder. We have no doubt there is no substance to the allegation and that the state's own case, including its own forensic evidence, strongly refutes any possibility of a premeditated murder or indeed any murder at all."

"As you can imagine our entire family is devastated, we are in a state of total shock - firstly about the tragic death of Reeva who we had all got to know well and care for deeply over the last few months.

"All of us saw at first hand how close she had become to Oscar during that time and how happy they were. They had plans together and Oscar was happier in his private life than he had been for a long time. We are all grieving for Reeva, her family and her friends.

"Oscar, as you can imagine, is also numb with shock as well as grief. Obviously at the same time we, as a family, are also battling to come to terms with Oscar being charged with murder.

"Words cannot adequately describe our feelings. The lives of our entire family have been turned upside down for ever by this unimaginable human tragedy and Reeva's family have suffered a terrible loss. As a family we are trying to be strong and supportive to Oscar as any close family would be in these dreadful circumstances."

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