Oscar Pistorius' Jail Sentence for Killing Girlfriend Increased to 13 Years

The Supreme Court of Appeal has increased Oscar Pistorius' six-year jail sentence for killing his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, to 13 years and five months.

According to BBC News, the South African Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein ruled he should serve the prescribed 15-year sentence for murder, minus time already served, after prosecutors contested his initial six-year sentence.

South African outlet Eyewitness News shared details from the ruling:

Pistorius shot and killed Steenkamp on Valentine's Day in 2013, firing four shots at her through a locked toilet door.

The six-time Paralympic gold medallist claimed he mistook her for a burglar who had broken into his home in Pretoria. He was initially found guilty of manslaughter in 2014, before his conviction was changed to murder on appeal the following year.

According to the BBC, he was handed the lighter sentence of six years because of mitigating factors such as his "rehabilitation and remorse," which "outweighed aggravating factors such as his failure to fire a warning shot."

The 31-year-old was not in court to learn of the decision.

According to CNN's Nicole Chavez and Sean Coppack, a spokeswoman for the family said the decision is "justice for Reeva," adding that they hope "this is the end of the road and that everyone can move forward."

Supreme Court Justice Willie Seriti said that "I find it difficult on the evidence to accept that the respondent is genuinely remorseful. ... The sentence of six years' imprisonment is shockingly lenient to a point where it has the effect of trivialising this serious offence."

Pistorius, a double-amputee below the knee, became the first amputee sprinter to compete at the Olympic Games when he took part in the 2012 Olympics in London.