The judge who has sentenced Oscar Pistorius for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp has been branded an “embarrassment to the justice system” by a women’s rights group for handing down a six-year sentence for murder.

Judge Thokozile Masipa delivered the short sentence in Pretoria High Court today as the Paralympic gold athlete was told of his fate after his sentence for culpable homicide was upgraded to murder.

Members of the Women's League of the ruling African National Congress (ANCWL), said the sentence handed down by Judge Masipa was insufficient.

Pistorius given six years

“First five years, now six years? She is an embarrassment to the justice system,” ANCWL spokeswoman Jacqueline Mofokeng told Reuters. “It is an insult to women in this country.”

Pistorius shot Ms Steenkamp four times through a locked bathroom door. He has always maintained he believed she was an intruder.

Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial Show all 53 1 /53 Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial pistofamily1.jpg Aimee Pistorius (2nd R), sister of South African Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius, cries as she hears her brother tell his story of the events on the night he killed Reeva Steenkamp GETTY IMAGES Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial pistorius-3v2.jpg Oscar Pistorius reacts during his trial for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial pistorius-9.jpg Oscar Pistorius speaks with a family member during his trial in Court in Pretoria Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial pistorius-8.jpg Oscar Pistorius' brother Carl Pistorius reacts during Oscar's trial at the high court in Pretoria Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial pistorius-7.jpg Aimee, sister of Oscar Pistorius, cries as her brother takes the stand to testify at the high court in Pretoria Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial pistorius-front-3.jpg Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial pistorius-4.jpg Uncle Arnold Pistorius and aunt Lois Pistorius look on during the murder trial of Oscar Pistorius at the high court in Pretoria Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial pistorius-6.jpg Oscar Pistorius reacts during his trial at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial pistorius-3.jpg June Steenkamp, mother of the late Reeva Steenkamp listens to evidence by a pathologist during the murder trial of Oscar Pistorius in court in Pretoria Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial pistorius-2.jpg Oscar Pistorius sits in the dock during his murder trial at the high court in Pretoria Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial Oscar-Pistorius-hwebnh-v3.jpg Oscar Pistorius hugs his sister Aimee, right, in court in Pretoria, South Africa, Wednesday, March 19, 2014. AP Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial pistorius-5.jpg Oscar Pistorius is hugged by his aunt Lois in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial pistorius-4.jpg Oscar Pistorius is comforted by relatives as he sits in the dock during court proceedings at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial pistorius-3.jpg Oscar Pistorius cries during his trial at the North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial pistorius-2.jpg Oscar Pistorius holds his head in his hands in the dock during cross examination of a witnesses in court in Pretoria Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial pistorius-1.jpg Oscar Pistorius makes his way to the dock during his ongoing murder trial in Pretoria Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial Pistorius cries in court Oscar Pistorius cries as he chats to his lawyer Barry Roux during his trial for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial Pistorius on the sixth day of his trial Oscar Pistorius holds his hands to his face as he sits in the dock during day 6 of his murder trial at the High Court in Pretoria Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial Pistorius sits in court Oscar Pistorius is pictured with hands on his head during a hearing on the sixth day of his murder trial Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial Relatives of Reeva Steenkamp in court Relatives and friends of Reeva Steenkamp, Gina Meyers (C) and her mother Desiree (R) attend a hearing of Oscar Pistorius on the sixth day of his trial Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial Pistorius arrives in court Oscar Pistorius arrives at the Pretoria High Court in Pretoria Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial Security guard Pieter Baba testifies Security guard Pieter Baba testifies the murder trial of South African Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius at the high court of Pretoria Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial Pistorius family in court Aimee Pistorius, sister of Olympic and Paralympic track star Oscar, rests her head on an unidentified woman's shoulder during the fifth day of his trial for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial p30-pistorius-3.jpg Oscar Pistorius is surrounded by police and media as he leaves North Gauteng High Court Getty Images Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial p30-pistorius-2.jpg Reeva Steenkamp glance at Oscar Pistorius, foreground, during his trial at the high court in Pretoria, South Africa AP Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial pistorius1.jpg South African paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius listens at the Pretoria's North Gauteng High Court on March 7, 2014, during the 5th day of his trial for the 2013 murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp GETTY IMAGES Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial pistorious-3.jpg Oscar Pistorius looks at notes during the fourth day of his trial for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial pistorious-2.jpg Oscar Pistorius puts his hands to his head while a witness testifies and speaks about the morning of the shooting of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial pistorious-1.jpg Oscar Pistorius cries while a witness testifies during the fourth day of his trial for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial v2-pistorius.jpg Oscar Pistorius during the fourth day of his trial for the murder of Reeva Steenkamp Reuters Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial AN39036751Olympic-and-Paral.jpg Oscar Pistorius during the fourth day of his trial for the murder of Reeva Steenkamp Reuters Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial pistorius1.jpg South African Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius looks on during the fourth day of his trial for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria AFP/ GETTY IMAGES Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial Oscar Pistorius during trial Oscar Pistorius looks on inside the Pretoria High Court Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial Oscar Pistorius leaves court Oscar Pistorius leaves North Gauteng High Court during the lunchtime break as he faces trial accused of the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in Pretoria Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial Oscar Pistorius in court Oscar Pistorius at the Pretoria High Court in Pretoria Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial Oscar Pistorius and Barry Roux in court Oscar Pistorius and Barry Roux at the Pretoria High Court in Pretoria Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial Advocate Barry Roux speaks in court Advocate Barry Roux at the Pretoria High Court in Pretoria Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial Oscar Pistorius in court Oscar Pistorius at the Pretoria High Court in Pretoria Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial v2-pistorious-4.jpg Oscar Pistorius looks at his defense team paperwork during a break on the second day of his trial at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial Oscar Pistorius in court Oscar Pistorius walks at the Pretoria High Court as Reeva Steenkamp's mother looks on Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial June Steenkamp in court Reeva Steenkamp's mother looks on inside the Pretoria High Court Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial Lois, Arnold and Aimee Pistorius in court Lois, Arnold and Aimee Pistorius at the Pretoria High Court in Pretoria Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial Carl, Aimee and Lois Pistorius in court Carl, Aimee and Lois Pistorius speaking with a member of his legal team at the Pretoria High Court in Pretoria Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial Carl Pistorious in court Carl Pistorious, the brother of South African Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius, leaves the courtroom during a lunch recess at the High Court in Pretoria Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial pistorious-3.jpg Members of the media work during a break in proceedings on the second day of the murder trial of South African Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial pistorious-2.jpg Chief investigating officer Lieutenant General Vineshkumar Moonoo gestures during the second day of the murder trial of South African Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial Prosecutor Gerrie Nel Prosecutor Gerrie Nel reads out the charges on the opening day of proceedings in the High Court in Pretoria Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial Pretoria news A newspaper vendor sells the Pretoria News as the Oscar Pistorius trail starts at North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria. Olympic and Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius is accused of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. Pistorius denies the allegation claiming he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder inside their home on Valentines Day 2013 Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial June Steenkamp in court June Steenkamp (L), mother of the murdered Reeva Steenkamp, sits in court ahead of the trial of Olympic and Paralympic track star Oscar Pistorius at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial June Steenkamp arrives in court June Steenkamp (C), the mother of Reeva Steenkamp, arrives at North Gauteng High Court for the trial of Oscar Pistorius in Pretoria Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial June Steenkamp arrives in court June Steenkamp (R), the mother of Reeva Steenkamp, arrives at North Gauteng High Court for the trial of Oscar Pistorius in Pretoria Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial Carl Pistorius arrives in court Police try to hold back the media as Carl Pistorius, the brother of Oscar Pistorius, arrives at North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria Indyplus gallery: Oscar Pistorius trial Media outside the court in Pretoria Bewildered media stand outside North Gauteng High Court as Oscar Pistrious slips into court through another door to face trial accused of the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in Pretoria

In her remarks, Judge Masipa said there are a number of aggravating factors when choosing the length of a custodial sentence, but that they are outweighed by mitigating factors such as Pistorius' remorse and rehabilitation.

She highlighted “misperceptions” which emerged through the trial, such as that Pistorius had an argument with Ms Steenkamp on the night of her death.