Judge Thokozile Masipa told Pistorius he must report to
Pretoria's Weskoppies hospital, one of South Africa's top mental
institutions, as an outpatient for up to 30 days, starting on
May 26.
The evaluation would determine "whether the accused by reason of
mental illness or mental defect was at the time of the
commission of the offence criminally responsible for the offence
he is charged and whether he was capable of appreciating the
wrongfulness of his act".
Pistorius, dressed in a black suit and tie, stood somberly in
the dock as Masipa read out the order before postponing the case
to June 30.
The Olympic star could face a life sentence if he is found
guilty of murdering his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, who he
shot and killed at his high security home in Pretoria on
February 14
last year.
Pistorius denies killing Steenkamp in cold blood after an
argument, as suggested by prosecutors, and insists he shot four
times at the toilet door she was behind, in self defense against
what he thought was an intruder.
Pistorius competed against able-bodied sprinters on carbon-fiber
prosthetics, becoming one of the most recognized names in
athletics. He won a clutch of Paralympic medals and reached the
semi-finals of the 400m at the London 2012 Olympics.
(Reporting by Nomatter Ndebele; Editing by Stella Mapenzauswa)
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