Mother to plead insanity in NZ childrens murder trial-reports

The trial of a South African woman charged with allegedly murdering her three young daughters in New Zealand began on Monday, with media reports saying the defence will plead she was not guilty by reason of insanity.

Lauren Anne Dickason is accused of killing her 2-year-old twins and their 6-year-old sister in September 2021 at their home in Timaru, a city of 29,000 on New Zealand's South Island, about a month after the family migrated from South Africa.

The trial began in the Christchurch High Court, presided over by Justice Cameron Mander, a court spokesperson said.

The prosecutors will claim Dickason was not insane at the time and that the girls were murdered, reports said, with the trial expected to continue for about two weeks.

Dickason's husband, Graham Dickason, found the three children dead and his wife in a serious condition when he arrived home after having dinner with colleagues, according to New Zealand media reports.

She was remanded in custody to a hospital's psychiatric unit and has remained there since the killing.