Mental Health and Murder: Trial Sheds More Light On Disturbing Murder Case, As South African Mother Faces Trial for Killing Her Young Daughters in New Zealand

In a case that has sent shock waves around the world, South African mother Lauren Dickason is currently on trial in New Zealand for the tragic murder of her three young daughters. 

The trial, which began on Monday, saw prosecutor Andrew McRae present the Crown's case, shedding light on the horrifying events that unfolded on the evening of September 16, 2021, when Dickason took the lives of her daughters Liané, 6, and two-year-old twins, Maya and Karla.

According to New Zealand news website stuff.co.nz, McRae revealed that the children were strangled using cable ties tightened around their necks. 

The family had recently arrived in Timaru, New Zealand, in August 2021, as Dickason's husband, Graham Dickason, had secured a job as an orthopaedic surgeon at Timaru Hospital. 

Lauren Dickason herself had worked as a doctor in Pretoria before their relocation.

Tragedy struck just a week after their move, as the family had recently completed their mandatory Covid-19 isolation period and settled into their new home. 

As reported by stuff.co.nz, the court heard that when the initial method of asphyxiation failed, Dickason resorted to smothering her three children with their own blankets. 

Lauren Dickason, Her Husband and their kids

The prosecution contends that these actions were not the result of a disturbed mind but rather a deliberate act of murder.

The prosecution argues that Dickason, driven by frustration and resentment, intentionally committed this heinous act in response to her children's misbehavior. 

They maintain that her actions were calculated and purposeful, not the result of a mental disturbance. 

The prosecution's case rests on the assertion that Dickason acted out of anger, possessed clarity of thought, and fully comprehended the consequences of her actions.

However, the defense, led by Kerryn Beaton KC, presents a different perspective, as reported by stuff.co.nz. They argue that Dickason was a loving mother and wife who was enduring a severe episode of major depressive disorder. 

She had a long history of depression, which originated during her teenage years and continued with postpartum depression following the birth of her daughters. 

Beaton asserts that Dickason's mental state was so compromised that she believed taking her own life and those of her daughters was the only solution.

Dickason's struggles with mental health extend back to her teenage years, during which she received a diagnosis of depression and later experienced postpartum depression after giving birth to her daughters. 

Despite her mental health challenges, she sought help and continued to display love and care for her children until that fateful night.

The trial, expected to span three weeks, will delve into complex issues surrounding mental health, postpartum depression, and the legal definitions of insanity and infanticide. 

The jury will be tasked with determining whether Dickason was incapable of comprehending the moral wrongness of her actions due to her mental disorder.

Source - IOL News