Pretoria expat Lauren Dickason has been sentenced to 18 years' imprisonment for murdering her three young daughters shortly after arriving in New Zealand, with the high court in Christchurch accepting her defence of mental illness.
New Zealand media reported the former orthopaedic doctor must begin the sentence in a mental health hospital until experts believe she can cope with a prison environment, judge Cameron Mander ruled.
He did not set a minimum non-parole period, meaning she will be eligible after serving six years.
The 43-year-old murdered six-year-old Liané and two-year-old twins Karla and Maya in September 2021. She strangled them with cable ties and smothered them to death.
The court heard evidence that Dickason had struggled to bond with the children and had only conceived after many rounds of IVF. She suffered from post-partum depression after the births, which compounded mental health issues, including anxiety, since her teenage years.
Lauren Dickason sentenced to 18 years’ imprisonment for daughters’ murders
Image: Lauren Dickason/ Facebook
Pretoria expat Lauren Dickason has been sentenced to 18 years' imprisonment for murdering her three young daughters shortly after arriving in New Zealand, with the high court in Christchurch accepting her defence of mental illness.
New Zealand media reported the former orthopaedic doctor must begin the sentence in a mental health hospital until experts believe she can cope with a prison environment, judge Cameron Mander ruled.
He did not set a minimum non-parole period, meaning she will be eligible after serving six years.
The 43-year-old murdered six-year-old Liané and two-year-old twins Karla and Maya in September 2021. She strangled them with cable ties and smothered them to death.
The court heard evidence that Dickason had struggled to bond with the children and had only conceived after many rounds of IVF. She suffered from post-partum depression after the births, which compounded mental health issues, including anxiety, since her teenage years.
Dickason children killed by mom: Enduring pain for families left behind
Mander said: “There is a direct causal connection between your mental illness and your offending which significantly reduces your moral culpability.
“This tragic event would not have occurred if not for the major depressive disorder you suffered.”
In a statement issued on her behalf after her sentencing, Dickason said: “I loved Liané, Maya and Karla with all my heart. I failed them.
“I am horrified by my actions, and the pain, distress and trauma I have caused everyone who loved them. Like many others, I miss them every day.
“I would like to take this opportunity to convey the deepest and most sincere remorse for the extreme pain and hurt caused to my children and my family.”
Credits: 1News, Stuff and NZ Herald
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