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Oscar Pistorius prosecutors to appeal for longer murder sentence

The prosecution in the Oscar Pistorius case will appeal his six-year prison sentence for the murder of Reeva Steenkamp, describing it as "shockingly too lenient."

Pistorius was handed the sentence this month after seeing his initial conviction of culpable homicide upgraded to murder by South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeal last December. A charge of murder carries a minimum sentence of 15 years, however, Judge Thokozile Masipa had the discretion to impose a shorter term.

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Six-time Paralympic gold medalist Pistorius claimed he believed his then-girlfriend Steenkamp was an intruder when he shot her dead through a bathroom door at his home in February 2013.