Laura Dickason trial

[isthismylifenow]

I have not seen another thread about this case, and I thought it best to post here as I am not sure how much international news coverage the case has had. It has been widely reported on here as I am in SA.

For those who don't know of the case, Laura admitted to murdering her 3 children, her defence were hoping for a charge of infanticide due to post natal depression. They had recently emigrated to NZ from SA, they had only been in their NZ home for 2 weeks when the murders happened. She has been charged for three counts of murder, each with a life sentence.

I have such mixed feelings about this case. Both she and her husband are medical doctors. I was just hoping that the severity of PND would be understood more having a medical degree. But then again, it also seemed very calculated in that she had prepared for how she was going to do this.

Just such a sad story.

Here is the link:

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/lauren-dickason-trial-jury-cant-reach-a-unanimous-verdict-judge-confirms-he-will-take-majority-decision/VK4ZWQQHJJG2TFLSERAAOGFLTM/

Apologies, my title autocorrect to Laura for some reason. It should say Lauren Dickason.

I don't think she was mentally insane when it happened... I think depression played a role but most would know what's morally wrong snd stop before this point. I think motherhood was not what she expected and she felt trapped and resentful of her kids. And I hate to say I think she justified it in her mind as they were not biologically hers.... I feel for her but you don't see people with pnd or depression going this far. She planned it sbd was irrational... but she was sane. She needs to pay for that. She's also largely un emotional- I think she still thinks this was the best outcome..so so sad...

The sentencing hearing will be interesting, whether she will be moved from the hospital or remain there. As she will remain in NZ the government would need to pick up the cost for a psychiatric unit if she remains there.

This must have been a horrific case for the jury.

Her husband has moved back to SA now. I don't believe he is practicing again as yet. I'm not sure how you pick up and carry on after something like this.

Hideous situation, I hadn't read the latest.

Like many mums, I had PND/Anxiety & still can't imagine. Post-Natal Psychosis perhaps? I'd like to put it down to sheer organic insanity because the alternative is too awful.

This reminds of Donna Fitchett (in Oz, she lived near me, very similar) and again I just want to say she must've been mad. I won't post the link, too sad. She got 18 years.

Too many cases like this.

Oh, I should've said- 'post natal' depression can last for decades, it doesn't restrict itself to a certain period after birth. That was news to me when I was diagnosed. And it can flare up into psychosis at any point.

Sorry for babbling. Her poor husband, I cannot imagine.

I wish I had never read the details of the murders. It's unbearable to think about. She clearly planned it, several times. She is obviously mentally ill, but she knew what she was doing. Incredibly sad.

Why when a woman kills her kids people feel sorry for her and try to find a million "mental health" reasons to explain it, but when a man jills his kids he is branded evil? Of course anyone who purposely kills their kids has "mental health" issues because no normal person could contemplate doing something so horrific. Doesn't change the fact that she's an evil butch who should rot in hell just like any child-killer - man or woman.

bitch*

They weren’t biologically hers?

Not really - she used donor eggs and her husbands sperm after 17 failed rounds of ivf....

Why would anyone try to hard to have kids only to murder them? Just evil beyond belief

I think she found motherhood a lot less fulfilling and hard work than she imagined and coupled with pnd and her and husband fighting more about kids behaviour...she started to resent them. And it grew over time - and then her depression pushed her over the edge and I think she then just thought its not biologically miy kids and justified it ... could be totally wrong though !

As the mother of a donor conceived baby that's really offensive. Biological mothers kill or enable the killing of their children all the time

Oh I know !! Of course - didn't mean to offend in any way ! I was merely suggesting that I think she somehow justified in her mind on the basis of this which is so sad... no offence intended x

The bit that got me was the 17 rounds of IVF. No matter how well supported you are that’s going to take a heavy toll I would imagine.

Well it is offensive, it's just as likely, as a pp said, that that many rounds of unsuccessful IVF would leave anyone unstable

I found immigration pretty stressful. We did it before kids and it went through very quickly and it still sucked. I did read that there was an issue with their visa's that came up the day it happened and they were unsure if they could stay in NZ.

Some people hide their mental health issues as they think it will count against them with immigration. The combination of IVF, Covid and immigration must have been very hard. Such a heartbreaking case. I don't envy the jury.

She’s already been found guilty. I think sentencing is in December.

I have immigrated twice, once before dc and then again after they were born. It is stressful, I agree. But families do it all the time, and don't use it as an excuse.

I also read something about a new visa issue, but I cannot seem to find more on what the actual issue was. Graham was on an essential worker visa, so I cannot see that the visa was to be revoked.

I was on the fence about this case. I do not want to dismiss mental health issues at all, I myself have been through the mill, so I know that times things can be really difficult.

But in her statement after the murders, she refers to the babies she just killed as "a fruitloop", "doesn't have ears" and "basically I just had to suffocate them", "the eldest first as she was being horrible to me".

Surely someone having murdered three of her children during a mh breakdown, would show some remorse after the fact?

I have not read up on the case for a little while, but reading some of the articles again, just made me go cold. It just seems too calculated to me now.

@isthismylifenow I'm on the fence too. The verdict does sound appropriate.

If what op states she said afterwards is true - she definitely deserves what she gets .... that's not mh that's calculated and it seems she almost hated them. Poor souls rest in piece... unless mh can turn you into a monster