Oscar Pistorius , the onetime Olympic athlete turned murder suspect , must undergo a month of psychiatric testing before his trial can continue , the judge in the case ruled Wednesday . The move puts his trial on ice indefinitely . It was triggered by the testimony of a psychiatrist who testified that the sprinter has suffered from generalized anxiety disorder since he was an infant , stemming partly from the amputation of both of his lower legs because of a genetic defect . Pistorius is accused of murdering his girlfriend , the model Reeva Steenkamp , in his home last year . Pistorius , 27 , does not claim he was insane or mentally incapacitated when he shot her , but when the defense put the psychiatrist on the stand , it raised the question of the athlete 's mental health , the judge said Wednesday . `` A doubt has been created '' that Pistorius may have a psychiatric issue that would affect the court 's verdict , so she must order the testing , Judge Thokozile Masipa said Wednesday . `` The accused may not have raised the issue that he was not criminally responsible at the time of the incident in so many words , but evidence raised on his behalf can not be ignored , '' she said of testimony by Dr. Merryll Vorster . She acknowledged that her order would mean a long delay in the trial , but said that was not the most important consideration . `` This is not about anyone 's convenience , but about whether justice has been served , '' she said . `` The aim of the referral is not to punish the accused twice , '' Masipa said , saying that Pistorius should be examined as an outpatient rather than committed to an institution if possible . Expert report . Court will reconvene on Tuesday for her to issue her order formally , she said . At that point , Pistorius will learn when and where he will be tested . The prosecutor had argued in favor of psychological evaluation , while the defense argued against it . The testing will be done by a panel of experts who will then submit a mental health report to the court , CNN legal analyst Kelly Phelps said . At one extreme , they could find that Pistorius was mentally incapacitated at the time he killed Steenkamp , which would end the trial immediately in a verdict of not guilty by reason of mental illness , she said . But it would also mean Pistorius needs to be committed to a mental health institution against his will until he is found not to be a danger , she said . Another option is that they could find he had `` diminished responsibility '' at the time he killed Steenkamp . In that case , the trial would continue and his mental health would be taken into consideration during sentencing if he is found guilty , said Phelps , a criminologist and law lecturer at the University of Cape Town . The third possibility is that the experts could disagree with the defense psychiatrist and say that Pistorius ' mental health is not an issue at all . If that happens , Vorster 's testimony will be disregarded , Phelps said . The experts might not all agree with each other , and lawyers on either side could disagree with the experts ' report , leading to any number of possible outcomes . If there is any dispute , the final decision about what to do with the experts ' report lies with Judge Masipa . Mistake or murder ? Pistorius admits shooting Steenkamp but says he thought there was an intruder in his house . He has pleaded not guilty . The athlete 's defense team is trying to show that Pistorius made a genuine mistake and responded reasonably on the night he shot Steenkamp , 29 , a model and law school graduate . If the trial continues after the psychiatric evaluation , Judge Masipa must decide whether Pistorius genuinely made a mistake or whether he murdered Steenkamp intentionally . If she does not believe the athlete thought there was an intruder , she will find him guilty of murder and sentence him to at least 15 years in prison , and possibly life . South Africa does not have the death penalty . If Masipa accepts that Pistorius did not know Steenkamp was the person he was shooting at , she could find him guilty of culpable homicide , a lesser charge than murder , or acquit him , according to CNN legal analyst Kelly Phelps . A verdict of culpable homicide would leave the sentence at Masipa 's discretion . The prosecution rejects the sprinter 's defense that he mistakenly thought he was defending himself and his girlfriend from an intruder . The state contends that Pistorius argued with Steenkamp before killing her . The defense team is seeking to cast doubt on the state 's case and needs to show only that there is a reasonable doubt that Pistorius meant to kill Steenkamp . There is no dispute that Pistorius fired four bullets through a door at Steenkamp in his home early on the morning of Valentine 's Day 2013 . Three hit her , causing devastating wounds . The final shot struck her head and probably killed her almost instantly , a pathologist testified in March . The trial has seen Pistorius break down repeatedly , crying , wailing and sometimes throwing up as the court sees and hears evidence about Steenkamp 's death . Vorster said the athlete 's physical distress was real . Live blog : Pistorius on trial . Oscar Pistorius trial enters new phase after blistering cross-examination . Gerrie Nel : 'Bulldog ' prosecutor sinks teeth into Oscar Pistorius at murder trial .
Judge Thokozile Masipa does not want Pistorius stuck in a hospital during tests . Experts will submit a report to the court once testing is done . Pistorius could end up committed against his will . Pistorius killed Reeva Steenkamp but says he mistook his girlfriend for an intruder .