Prosecutors Seek to Extend Oscar Pistorius' 6-Year-Sentence, Calling it 'Shockingly Too Lenient'

Criticizing the sentence as "shockingly too lenient," prosecutors in South Africa have signaled their desire to extend the six-year prison term given to former Olympic and Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius for the 2013 murder of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Pistorius, 29, the double-amputee sprinter who achieved worldwide fame as the "Blade Runner," was sentenced July 6 by Judge Thokozile Matilda Masipa. The appeal was filed by the National Prosecuting Authority, and Masipa will make the initial decision whether or not to send it to the Supreme Court of Appeal, reports The New York Times.

Under South African law, however, the prosecuting authority still can petition the appeals court directly if the judge declines, according to the Times.

Prosecutors initially sought a 15-year sentence after Pistorius was convicted for the murder, which occured on Valentine's Day at his home. They alleged he killed Steenkamp, a model and law school graduate, following an argument.

Pistorius has long maintained it was a tragic accident, saying he believed an intruder had broken into his home in the middle of the night when he fired the shots that struck Steenkamp through a closed bathroom door.

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Judge Masipa described Pistorius – a celebrated figure at the 2012 London Summer Olympics – as "a fallen hero" and accepted his remorse when she sentenced him earlier this month.

But in announcing its intent to appeal that sentence, prosecutors said in a statement Thursday, "We respectfully submit that the sentence of six years imprisonment, in all the circumstances, is disproportionate to the crime of murder committed," reports The Associated Press. "That is to say, shockingly too lenient, and has accordingly resulted in an injustice and has the potential to bring the administration of justice into disrepute."

No timetable was given for the appeal to be heard. Pistorius already has begun serving his sentence in a Pretoria prison, and could be eligible for parole in three years.