WELLINGTON (Reuters) – A woman from South Africa has been found guilty by a jury in New Zealand of murdering her three young daughters. It has been reported that she could face a life sentence for each killing. The woman, Lauren Anne Dickason, killed her two-year-old twins and their six-year-old sister in September 2021 at their home in Timaru, a city with a population of 29,000 on the South Island. The killings occurred approximately a month after the family had migrated from South Africa.
According to local media, a majority verdict from the jury of eight women and four men determined that Dickason was not insane at the time of the murders and was therefore guilty of murder. The trial, which took place in the city of Christchurch, lasted for a month. Dickason’s husband, Graham, discovered their three children dead and his wife in a serious condition when he returned home after having dinner with colleagues, as previously reported by New Zealand media.
The prosecution argued that Dickason was aware that her actions were morally wrong and constituted murder when she killed her daughters, as reported by Radio New Zealand. Several members of the jury were reportedly heard crying as they left the courtroom.
The presiding judge, Cameron Mander, has remanded Dickason into custody at a hospital psychiatric unit until her sentencing. She has been receiving treatment at the hospital since the time of the killings.
Reporting by Lucy Craymer; Editing by Clarence Fernandez
Credit: The Star : News Feed
