[This post kicked off the following discussion about the validity of handwriting analysis that led to an enlightening discussion of the value of similar beliefs (ie astrology) vis-à-vis science. It's gotten rather lengthy, but generally very interesting and well written! Well worth a longish read! - Barry]
A Mistake or Murder?
The prosecution in South Africa's "Trial of The Century" starting 3/3/2014 claim Oscar Pistorius, the iconic and admired disabled athlete, premeditated the shots that killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's, 2013 in his home. He claims it was a devastating accident, as he mistook her for an intruder. Examining his handwriting, I would say - neither might be the case!
Here is a sample of his writing. What can we learn from it that can help us understand this tragedy?
The way Oscar Pistorius places his writing on the page is unusual, he writes diagonally, he also ignores left margin, wide spaces all around and between words and lines, some falling letters (more acute slant than others), inkiness, middle zone letters vary in size, some squashed, some larger, blunt endings of words, writing is slow, punctuation is strong, exclamation marks, signature is large and resembles his blade prosthetics. All is all - he does things his way, can be controlling, has a temper and can be explosive, feels isolated, has trouble trusting and getting close, bonding, tends to be cold, not a giver, strong ego needs, can manipulate and lie.
I don't doubt that Oscar Pistorius had strong feelings for Reeva, I doubt that he went to bed contemplating murdering her! what seems likely in view of his writing - is that they got into a heated argument, he lost his temper and acted out in impulsive rage, especially if what they argued about made him feel insecure, slighted or betrayed. So, his writing does not inspire trust in his version of what happened. Seems like a tragedy to me, and I am sure he is heart broken and sorry for what happened, with his strong ego needs, not surprised it's hard for him to give up his dreams and take responsibility for his actions enough to spend the rest of his life behind bars. I would not be surprised, though, if he breaks down in court. Let's see how this case unfolds!
Varda
Certified Handwriting Analyst