A churchgoing doctor who struggled for years to get pregnant appeared in court last night charged with murdering her three young daughters.
Lauren Dickason, 40, stood silently in the dock at Timaru District Court in New Zealand, where she and her husband Graham, an orthopaedic surgeon, had moved from South Africa just weeks ago with two-year-old twins Karla and Maya and their older sister Liane, six.
Mr Dickason discovered the tragedy shortly before 10pm on Thursday when he returned home after attending a work function at Timaru Hospital.
In court on Saturday morning, his wife was led from the cells wearing a light grey hoodie and black trousers to make a brief appearance to hear the charges for the first time.
She looked drawn and distressed as she entered no plea and was remanded to a secure mental health unit until her next appearance, at Timaru High Court on October 5.
Mrs Dickason did not speak during the hearing and did not enter a plea. She nodded briefly when listening to her solicitor, Kelly Beazley.
Just four months ago, Mrs Dickason had paid a loving public tribute to her husband on Facebook, writing: 'Happy 15th wedding anniversary ... What an adventure,' she wrote.
'We have truly created a beautiful family and had many good times together. May the next years be more blessed, more happy and may the kids let us sleep.'
Churchgoing doctor Lauren Dickason, who struggled for years to get pregnant, appeared in court last night charged with murdering her three young daughters. Above: Mrs Dickason with husband Graham, two-year-old twins Karla and Maya and their older sister Liane, six
Just four months ago, Mrs Dickason had paid a loving public tribute to her husband on Facebook, writing: 'Happy 15th wedding anniversary ... What an adventure,' she wrote
Through her lawyer, she initially applied for name suppression but withdrew the application after media objections.
Many details were suppressed under New Zealand law and no cause of death for any of the three girls has emerged.
Judge Dominic Dravitzki ordered a report under New Zealand's Crimes Act to ascertain Mrs Dickason's state of mind at the time of the killings.
The couple, married for 15 years, had only been released from 14 days enforced Covid quarantine in a hotel following their life-changing flight from South Africa days before the alleged murders.
There was nothing in their background to suggest a troubled family, according to their long-standing nanny in Pretoria, Mendy Sibanyoni.
Both parents had 'loved their kids like nobody's business,' said Mrs Sebanyoni, who Mrs Dickason had described in a Facebook as an 'angel'.
'I'm torn apart. Part off me is gone,' she told South African media. 'And it's like those kids, they are my kids too because I raised them. They were such nice children.
'I don't know what to do about this because the only question that I've got now is, what happened? What went wrong?
'I never saw any fight in that family or anything. We treated each other as family. I was family too. There was nothing wrong.
Mrs Sebanyoni, who had tried unsuccessfully to contact Mr Dickason in New Zealand, said the three girls were all polite and well-mannered. '
'They listened when you told them not to do that, and when they wanted something they would ask,' she said.
'We used to play outside and take a walk on the streets. When I come in they used to be excited that Mendy is here. They would say goodbye to their mother and 'we are going to play with Mendy.'
Many details were suppressed under New Zealand law and no cause of death for any of the three girls has emerged. Above: Mrs Dickason's children
A photograph posted on social media on August 30 (pictured) showing the three girls happily clutching little kiwi cuddly toys with excited smiles as they arrived in the country
Mrs Dickason was described as 'very humble' and 'the nicest person', by a former neighbour in Pretoria.
'I cannot comprehend what happened - she is a
