A mother who smothered her three young daughters to death has been sentenced to 18 years in prison.
Lauren Dickason, 41, was convicted last August of murdering her two-year-old twin daughters, Maya and Karla, and their six-year-old sister Lianè at their home in Timaru, New Zealand, on September 16, 2021.
Initially, Dickason attempted to kill her children using zip ties before suffocating them with pillows. She then placed their bodies in their beds under the covers and tried to take her own life.
Though she admitted to killing the girls, Dickason pleaded not guilty to murder, citing post-partum depression and mental disturbance at the time.
Justice Cameron Mander sentenced Dickason to 18 years in a mental health facility, with six years for each daughter. He ruled that life imprisonment with a minimum parole period of 17 years would be too unjust. Dickason will serve three concurrent 18-year sentences with no minimum term of imprisonment.
Judge Mander also ordered that Dickason be detained at a mental health facility for compulsory treatment until she is deemed mentally fit to be transferred to prison. She will be eligible for parole after serving six years.
Through her counsel, Dickason took responsibility for her actions and apologized for the pain caused to her husband, Graham. “I loved Lianè, Maya, and Karla with all my heart. No apology will ever be enough, and words will seem hollow to many. I want people to know our girls brought me so much joy and were the center of my world. 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 single day,” she said.
Dickason, a former doctor, highlighted the risks of post-partum depression and committed to improving her mental health. She urged other families to be vigilant about unhealthy signs and encouraged women experiencing post-partum depression to seek help.
Judge Mander noted that Dickason had struggled with mental health issues for most of her life, being diagnosed with a major depressive disorder in her teens. Her mental state deteriorated after the births of her daughters, leading her to seek treatment for post-natal depression.
In the months leading up to the murders, Dickason began experiencing intrusive thoughts of harming her children. Expert reports on her mental health following the trial indicated her recognition of the impact of her actions and her expression of regret and remorse. However, some experts noted she was still affected by mental disorders.
Judge Mander praised Graham Dickason for his grace and stoicism despite the "unfathomable loss." He stated, “Sentencing a parent for the murder of three children is unprecedented in New Zealand. The children were vulnerable because of their age, and they were entirely dependent upon you as the mother who they looked to for care and protection. They would have viewed you as an unconditional source of safety and love... The ending represents a fundamental breach of trust.”
The Dickason family had moved to New Zealand from South Africa just days before the murders, seeking a more stable lifestyle. Graham, an orthopedic surgeon, returned from a work dinner to find his children dead. He later told police he knew his wife was struggling with mental health and motherhood but did not anticipate she could commit such an act.
The guilty verdict came after a four-week trial, with the jury rejecting Dickason's defenses under New Zealand's insanity and infanticide laws, and voting 11-1 for her conviction.
No comments:
Post a Comment