By Jake Kenny of 
Photo: Supplied
A woman accused of murdering her three young daughters has had her first High Court appearance, a month-and-a-half out from her trial.
South African mother Lauren Anne Dickason allegedly killed her twin daughters Maya and Karla, two, and their older sister Liané, six, on the night of 16 September, 2021 - about a week after the family moved into a property on Queen St in Timaru, South Canterbury.
Dickason, who is being held in custody at a psychiatric unit at Hillmorton Hospital, appeared at the High Court in Christchurch on Friday before Justice Rob Osborne.
Her lawyer Kerryn Beaton, KC confirmed her client was to rely on an insanity and infanticide defence.
To satisfy an infanticide defence, it must be proved that mental disturbance was caused as a direct result of childbirth.
Under New Zealand law, infanticide operates both as a stand-alone offence, and as a partial defence to murder or manslaughter.
Dickason's trial is scheduled to begin on 17 July. The case was transferred to Christchurch from Timaru.
Friday's appearance marks her first time in court since she first appeared two days after the alleged murders. She has been excused from all other court hearings since.
Advice from her managing clinician previously said it could be "detrimental to expose her to the court setting" - her appearances were excused on that basis.
Dickason, a medical practitioner, her husband Graham, and their three girls arrived in New Zealand from South Africa in August 2021.
Graham, an orthopaedic surgeon, found them dead when he arrived home about 10pm after dining with colleagues at a restaurant.
Dickason required hospital treatment in the aftermath of the incident. She appeared in the Timaru District Court two days later charged with the murder of her three daughters.
Photo: Supplied
The defence intends to call three experts at trial who support the defence of insanity and/or infanticide. The Crown's expert has a contrary view.
Graham Dickason is expected to be called to give evidence in the trial. The Crown was applying for him to give evidence from South Africa via audiovisual link, but this was opposed by the defence.
The trial is set down for two weeks.
Media applications to take photos of Dickason at Friday's appearance were refused.
The decision did not imply permission would be refused closer to trial, the judge said. Timaru-based prosecutor Andrew McRae is leading the Crown case.
Vigils were held in Timaru and in South Africa following the girls' deaths.
Suppression orders on the details of the offending continue.
In October 2021, Dickason's lawyer entered pleas of not guilty to all three murder charges with her signed consent.
Dickason has been remanded in custody at Hillmorton Hospital to appear for a callover on June 20.
At least 28 people have died in suspicious or homicidal circumstances in New Zealand so far in 2023.
At the same time last year there had been 33 suspected homicides. Last year's toll closed at 85.
On average there are 72 homicides in New Zealand each year. The rate of 1.3 homicides per 100,000 people is above the OECD median of 0.95 per 100,000.
The Homicide Report's data is provisional and may change depending on the outcome of investigations and court cases.
* This article was originally published by Stuff.
