Mum charged with killing kids planned ‘dream’ move to New Zealand ‘for 2 years’

Lauren Dickason, 40, was remanded without plea to a secure facility at Hillmorton Hospital in Christchurch after being charged with the deaths of her two-year-old twins Karla and Maya and their older sister Liane, six

A “dream” move to New Zealand came crashing down when the mum of the family allegedly killed their three daughters.

Lauren Dickason, 40, was remanded without plea to a secure facility at Hillmorton Hospital in Christchurch after being charged with the deaths of her two-year-old twins Karla and Maya and their older sister Liane, six.

The medical practitioner appeared before Judge Dominic Dravitzki at the Timaru District Court in New Zealand, The Sun reports.

Dickason and her husband Graham, also a doctor, only arrived in the country last month with their three girls and had been in Timaru for a week.

The family had emigrated from Pretoria in South Africa and friends told stuff.co.nz they had been planning the “dream move” for as long as two years.

In a picture posted online on August 30, the smiling girls are seen clutching toy kiwis shortly after arriving in the country, but their father Graham, an orthopaedic surgeon, came home about 10pm on Thursday to find his three children dead.

One neighbour, Chantel Pretorius, who said their children went to kindergarten together, said: “That news is terrible, we don’t know what to make of it.

“Their emigration took very long, they wanted to emigrate before Covid, and then Covid held everything back.

“Her last message to me was how panicked she was when there was a power outage at their home during the recent looting in South Africa.

“So they were really ready to get over to New Zealand, it’s what they worked for and planned for, it was their dream for two years.”

In a statement from the children’s grandparents in South Africa, they said the whole family was “in a state of shock”.

“The extended families are in a state of shock as we try to understand what happened,” they said.

“We ask for your prayers and support during this very difficult time. We would also request privacy as we battle to come to terms with what has happened.”

Natasja le Roux, a former colleague and neighbour told the Sunday Times in South Africa: “I cannot comprehend what happened – she is a medical doctor and she wasn’t arrogant or anything like that. She was very humble.

“She was really just a nice person, she and her husband.”

“They waited years for those children because she had troubles with fertility and stuff, so it really is a big shock.”

Mendy Sibanyoni, a family friend from South Africa, said both parents “loved their kids like nobody’s business”.

“Those children, that family, are like my own. I was in their house… I went on holiday with them. [The parents] never argued. They were two darlings. What could have gone wrong?” she said.

Other former neighbours, who did not want to be identified, said the couple were very “grateful” for their kids.

“They absolutely adored those children. They were so grateful for having them because they struggled to get pregnant and when they finally got the children, they loved them,” the neighbour said.

“Something just doesn’t add up. I don’t know if it’s the stress from New Zealand, moving there, being quarantined for so long and everything – just not coping with that going on.

“So I think whatever happened is not normal, it wasn’t normal circumstances.”

On Thursday neighbours reportedly heard “haunting wails” and a woman sobbing at their house before they heard a bang and then the sounds of sobbing and moaning at about 9.40pm.

Jade Whaley said: “The first noise we heard was somebody sobbing, and then we heard a loud thud like someone just slammed a door.

“We could see someone through our fence wandering behind the house and wailing.”

Police sealed off the house – which is leased by the local hospital for newly arrived staff – after paramedics tried in vain to save the girls.

Forensics officers in white overalls spent Friday examining the home for evidence.

“Police would like to reassure the community that this was a tragic isolated incident and we are not seeking anyone else,” said Det Insp Scott Anderson.

“The investigation into this tragedy is still in its very early stages, but we can confirm that nobody else is being sought in relation to the deaths of the three children.”