The family of Paralympic star and Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius crafted a carefully worded statement of support just two days before he goes on trial for murder.
Pistorius, who won six Paralympic gold medals and became the first double amputee to compete in the Olympics, has been charged with killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day in 2013.
Pistorius claims he mistakenly took her for a burglar and shot her through a locked bathroom in their home. Prosecutors believe he deliberately killed her.
News.sky.com reported that Pistorius' uncle Arnold Pistorius said in a statement, "We love Oscar, and believe in him, and will be standing by him throughout the coming trial."
"With less than two days before the commencement of Oscar's criminal trial, the family as well as the legal team, will not be distracted by extraneous issues that have no bearing on, or relevance to, the legal process that must now be allowed to unfold.
"We will not be commenting on any media reports, nor will we be engaging the press on any issues that belong in court.
"The time for public commentary is over. The focus is now entirely on a very serious trial that is set to start this Monday."
The statement is noteworthy in that it says that the family "believes in" Pistorius, rather than just "believes" Pistorius. Nowhere in the statement does the family say they believe Pistorius to be innocent.
The trial, set in Pretoria, South Africa, will be televised - with the exception of Pistorius' testimony and any witnesses who do not consent to be televised, according to CNN.
CNN adds that Pistorius faces one charge of premeditated murder in the shooting death of Steenkamp, a firearms charge associated with her killing, and two separate gun indictments from previous incidents.
News.sky.com reports that the mandatory sentence for someone convicted of premeditated murder in South Africa is life with a minimum of 25 years in prison.
Pistorius competed in the 400-meter run during the 2012 London Olympics,
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