Oscar Pistorius settles 2009 assault case out of court

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, Feb. 12 (UPI) -- Oscar Pistorius has reportedly reached an out-of-court settlement with a woman who claims the Olympic athlete assaulted her during an incident at his home in South Africa in 2009.

The Paralympian is waiting to stand trial for killing his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentine’s Day in 2013. Pistorius has admitted he killed Steenkamp by firing a gun shot through his bathroom door, but has claimed that he thought she was an intruder and that he is innocent of murder.

Cassidy Taylor-Memmory alleged that Pistorius punched a door which resulted in an injury to her leg during the 2009 incident.

“I agreed to it because I was so tired of it weighing me down. I received hate mail on a daily basis,” Taylor-Memmory said. “It became so difficult at a stage that I needed a bodyguard when I went out in public due to all the hate rants.”

When the Steenkamp trial begins, Barry and June Steenkamp, Reeva’s parents, have said that they will be in attendance.

“All we are looking for is closure and to know that our daughter did not suffer on that tragic Valentine's Day," they said in a statement. "Reeva held a passion for women's abuse issues and frequently spoke out against domestic violence. She intended to one day open an establishment where abused women would be cared for."

[YAHOO! News South Africa] [Mail & Guardian]