A South African woman has been found guilty by a New Zealand jury for the murders of her three daughters in Timaru. Lauren Anne Dickason will face a life sentence for each of the murders, according to local media.
The tragic incident, which took place in September 2021, involved the deaths of her two-year-old twins and their six-year-old sister. The Dickason family had moved from South Africa to Timaru, a city on the South Island, just a month prior to the incident.
After a month-long trial in Christchurch’s high court, the jury, comprising eight women and four men, concluded that Dickason was not mentally ill when she committed the murders.
The children’s father, Graham Dickason, made the heartbreaking discovery upon returning home from a dinner event. He found his three daughters deceased and his wife in critical condition.
Radio New Zealand reported the prosecution’s stance that Dickason was fully aware that her actions were morally reprehensible and constituted murder.
The emotional toll of the trial was evident as some jurors were observed crying upon exiting the courtroom.
Judge Cameron Mander ordered that Dickason be held in a hospital’s psychiatric ward until the sentencing date. She has been under medical care since the day of the murders.
