Woman in New Zealand charged with murdering three young daughters

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.

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 two-year-old twins and their six-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 their compulsory two-week managed isolation last week.

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