Oscar Pistorius could be committed to a mental institution against his will  if experts decide that he was "mentally incapacitated" when he shot Reeva  Steenkamp. The athlete is currently being assessed by three psychiatrists and  one psychologist at Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital to determine his mental  state when he fired at his girlfriend on Valentine's Day last year.

Judge Thokozile Masipa sent him for the 30-day evaluation after defence  witness Dr Meryl Vorster diagnosed him with "generalised anxiety disorder". The  results could mean a shorter prison sentence for Pistorius if he is convicted or  it could mean he has fewer grounds for appeal. Either way, the outcome is likely  to have a big impact on how the trial will proceed. Here are the findings  available to the experts who will report back to the court...

Pistorius was 'mentally incapacitated'

In theory, the expert panel could decide Pistorius was "mentally  incapacitated" when he shot Steenkamp, meaning that he was unable to control his  actions because of an underlying mental disorder. In this case, the trial would  end and Pistorius would be committed to a mental institution against his will  until he is found not to be a danger, reports CNN.

Pistorius had 'diminished capacity'

Professor Stephen Tucson, a criminal barrister in Johannesburg, tells the Daily  Telegraph, that the experts are more likely to look at whether Pistorius has  a disorder that "diminished" his capacity for criminal responsibility. In that  case, the trial would resume, and the experts' finding would be taken into  consideration during sentencing if he were found guilty. This would be the  favoured option for the defence as it would mean Pistorius might be judged less  harshly.  While murder and premeditated murder have mandatory jail terms,  the sentencing for culpable homicide is discretionary, varying from fines to  prison time of up to 15 years. For Pistorius to be convicted of the lesser  charge of culpable homicide, Judge Masipa would have to believe that Pistorius  did not plan or intend to commit murder but that he "negligently" killed  Steenkamp.

Pistorius had no mental health problems

Alternatively, the experts might decide that Pistorius's mental health was  not an issue at all and the court could therefore disregard the evidence of Dr  Vorster. Prosecutor Gerrie Nel is likely to be rooting for this option, as it  would mean Pistorius could not use his mental state as a defence or a mitigating  factor in sentencing. Part of the reason Nel called for the evaluation in the  first place was that he feared the defence could later use Pistorius's mental  state to appeal against any conviction. A full state evaluation that gives him a  clean bill of health would make this much more difficult.

Oscar Pistorius: what is he doing at Weskoppies hospital? 

3 June

As Oscar Pistorius undergoes a second week of assessment at Pretoria's  Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital, more details have emerged about his 30-day  mental health evaluation. The Reeva Steenkamp murder trial was suspended last  month after an expert witness for the defence diagnosed Pistorius with  'generalised anxiety disorder'. Judge Thokozile Masipa then sent the athlete to  Weskoppies, where a panel of experts are determining whether his state of mind  played a part in the shooting of Steenkamp on Valentine's Day last year. Four  specialists will have to decide whether Pistorius was criminally responsible for  the shooting and if he fired his gun despite knowing right from wrong.

What is Oscar Pistorius doing day to day?

Pistorius is being treated as an outpatient, which means he can return home  each evening. He is expected to arrive at Weskoppies at 9am every day and stay  until 4pm, or until he is excused.

It is likely to be an "emotionally taxing" few weeks, according to Carly  Abramovitz, a clinical psychologist who has worked at the hospital. The first  day is usually "relatively simple", she says, with the experts getting to know  their patient and explaining how the process works. After that, the panel will  conduct lengthy interviews to obtain Pistorius's full life history, his family  background, and his criminal and psychiatric history. Other assessments include  personality tests, neuropsychological tests, tests for malingering (the  technical term for faking a mental illness) and general cognitive tests that  evaluate each and every cognitive process from intelligence to memory.  Abramovitz tells Eye  Witness News that the panel is likely to make Pistorius recall the moment of  the shooting so they can work out whether he was in a "particularly heightened  state of anxiety". Abramovitz describes it as an "extremely rigorous process"  with experts observing him during "every single minute of every procedure".

Ivan de Klerk, a forensic psychologist, told South Africa's Times newspaper that forensic psychologists do not adopt a warm bedside manner. "A  counsellor is empathetic and subjective, but in a forensic observation a  psychiatrist wants to get to the truth," he said. "There is no way it would be  possible to fake a condition for 30 days." 

What is Weskoppies like?

Weskoppies is one of the biggest and oldest psychiatric institutions in South  Africa. Located next to an industrial area in the west of Pretoria, it consists  of many one-storey buildings in a "large, almost farm-like, setting", reports eNCA.  It is "extremely quiet" and its patients and activities are not visible to  visitors, says the news channel. "It is neither modern nor luxurious and has a  bare, functional quality to it."

The hospital caters to a large variety of patients, with mental illnesses  ranging from depression, anxiety disorders and bipolar disorders to  schizophrenia. On the morning of Pistorius's first day, one female patient  apparently asked reporters to film her message to Pistorius to "be strong". She  told reporters: "I love him". However, there were apparently no takers and she  "walked dejectedly back into the hospital", reported The Times.

Court-ordered cases make up just a portion of patients at Weskoppies. Former  high-profile patients include 'Modimolle Monster' Johan Kotze who was convicted  last year for murder, rape, kidnapping and assault, and 'Advocate Barbie'  Cezanne Visser, who was sent to jail in 2010 for molesting children with her  former lover. 

Who is evaluating Oscar Pistorius?

Four experts have been appointed, including three psychiatrists and one  psychologist:

Dr Herman Pretorius is one of two Weskoppies psychiatrists  appointed by the court. In a previous high-profile case he was tasked with  assessing a prisoner who slit two nurses’ throats. Pretorius testified that the  accused knew right from wrong when he attacked his victims. 

Dr Carla Kotze is the second Weskoppies psychiatrist  appointed by the court. In 2012, she was asked to evaluate a man accused of  decapitating his victim in a graveyard, stripping his face from his head and  cutting off some of his limbs. Kotze declared that the accused could understand  right from wrong and he was sentenced to a minimum of 20 years in prison.

Dr Leon Fine has been appointed on behalf of the defence. He  is a psychiatrist with a speciality in anxiety syndromes and has “extensive  experience” in giving evidence in court, according to South Africa's Daily  Maverick magazine. 

Professor Jonathan Scholtz is head of psychology at  Weskoppies and a professor at the University of Pretoria. He testified in the  'Advocate Barbie' case, diagnosing Cezanne Visser with battered woman syndrome.  Visser was released on appeal just three years into her seven-year prison  sentence.

When will the Oscar Pistorius trial resume?

The court is expected to resume on 30 June to hear the results of the  evaluation.