Oscar's family to take legal action against 'Blade Runner Killer' movie producers

03 October 2017 - 11:51 By Nomahlubi Jordaan
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Oscar Pistorius talking to family members during a break in his murder trial. Those in the picture include his brother Carl, far left, his sister Aimee, next to Carl, and his uncle Arnold, on the right. File photo.
Oscar Pistorius talking to family members during a break in his murder trial. Those in the picture include his brother Carl, far left, his sister Aimee, next to Carl, and his uncle Arnold, on the right. File photo.
Image: ANTOINE DE RAS

Oscar Pistorius’s family say they are taking legal action against the makers of an upcoming movie.

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

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

A teaser for Blade Runner Killer was released on Monday and showed scenes of court proceedings as well as what may have happened on the night Pistorius’s girlfriend‚ Reeva‚ was shot and killed by the athlete.

The family says the movie is not a true reflection of what happened on the day of the tragedy and the subsequent 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 reads.

“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 statement reads.

The movie is‚ according to the family‚ is a gross misrepresentation of the truth.

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

Steenkamp’s family also said they were not consulted before the movie was produced.

In a statement released to the media‚ the Steenkamp family slammed reports that they had given their stamp of approval.

“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 in a statement.

They have called on the film company‚ Lifetime‚ to publicly state that the family did not give its endorsement in any way.

Pistorius is currently serving a six-year jail term for the murder of Reeva in his house on Valentine's Day 2013.

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