South African doctor Lauren Dickason, who was handed an 18-year sentence in June for murdering her three children, is challenging her convictions. The “Notice of Appeal Against Conviction” was filed by her attorneys with the Court of Appeal on July 23, as reported by the New Zealand Herald. The specifics of the appeal’s grounds have not been disclosed, and a hearing date has yet to be scheduled.
Dickason faced murder charges following the deaths of her children—6-year-old Liané and 2-year-old twins Maya and Karla—on September 16, 2021, in their Timaru home. The incident occurred while her husband was away at a dinner with colleagues.
Despite pleading not guilty, a jury found her guilty on August 16, 2023. During the five-week trial, the prosecution argued that recent stresses had led to a depressive state in Dickason, and her actions on the fateful night were driven by “a reaction to the anger and frustration at her children’s misbehavior.”
Since her arrest, Dickason has been held at Hillmorton Hospital. The High Court in Christchurch decided that she would serve her sentence in the hospital’s mental health unit instead of prison, recognizing the need for specialized mental health care. According to Stuff, there remains the possibility that she could be transferred to a prison in the future, dependent on medical authority evaluations.
Dickason will be eligible for parole after serving six years.
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