Woman in New Zealand charged with murdering her children after arriving from South Africa

A woman charged with murdering her three young daughters, just weeks after the family arrived in New Zealand from South Africa, appeared in court on Saturday.

>>Reuters
Published : 18 Sept 2021, 09:06 AM
Updated : 18 Sept 2021, 09:06 AM

Lauren Anne Dickason appeared in court in the port city of Timaru in the morning, and a judge remanded her to a hospital for a mental health evaluation, a court spokesperson said.

Dickason, 40, is charged with killing her 2-year-old twins and their 6-year-old sister, police said. Their bodies were found on Thursday at a property where the family stayed.

"Police would like to reassure the community that this was a tragic isolated incident and we are not seeking anyone else," the police said in a statement late on Friday.

Dickason is to appear in court again on Oct 5.

The family came to Timaru, a city of 29,000 on New Zealand's South Island recently, police have said. They left the compulsory two-week managed isolation last week.

New Zealand media reported that Dickason and her husband are doctors.