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Sunday, 16 February, 2025
HomeA FocusDickason guilty of murders as jury rejects post-partum depression defence

Dickason guilty of murders as jury rejects post-partum depression defence

South African doctor Lauren Dickason was yesterday found guilty of murdering her three children in New Zealand in a trial that made headlines around the world and  thrust the issue of post-partum depression to the foreground, writes MedicalBrief.

While Dickason's counsel presented expert witnesses testifying to Dickason's long struggle with post-partum depression, the jury ultimately rejected the defence of insanity and found her guilty of murdering her daughters Lianè (6) and two-year-old twins Karla and Maya.

After the verdict, Dickason's parents, Malcolm and Wendy Fawkes, said a debilitating mental illness was responsible for the deaths of their three grandchildren. They said the children were taken as a result of the “crippling disease” that is post-partum depression.

"There are no winners in this tragedy. We would like to encourage families and people around the world to be aware of the symptoms of post-partum depression as early as possible, both for yourselves as well as family and friends around you. If treated early and managed correctly, people can experience a full recovery.

“The person experiencing depression and those closest to them may not be able to recognise the signs or how serious post-partum depression can become.”

The jury of eight women and four men in the New Zealand High Court had taken just more than 14 hours – after the four-week trial – to reach their verdict, reports RNZ. They did not find her insane at the time of the killings.

Former Pretoria doctor Dickason was charged with murder after admitting to killing two-year-old twins Karla and Maya and six-year-old Liané at their Timaru home on 16 September 2021.

She had admitting killing the children, three weeks after emigrating to New Zealand, but had hoped to persuade the Christchurch court that she was not guilty of murder due to insanity and infanticide.

She now faces a potential life sentence for the murder of each child.

TimesLIVE reports that she was remanded back to the psychiatric hospital where she has been receiving treatment, pending sentencing.

A date for this is yet to be announced.

The court heard evidence that Dickason had suffered mental health issues since her teenage years.

After a gruelling fertility journey including at least 17 rounds of IVF, the loss of a baby early in a pregnancy and her struggles with motherhood, the defence argued she’d thought it would be kindest to take the children “to heaven” with her when she committed suicide.

Dickason was relying on the defences of insanity and infanticide, with her lawyers arguing she had killed her daughters purely out of love, reports 1News.

“The girls’ deaths have nothing to do with anger and resentment and everything to do with what was clearly, a severe mental illness.”

The prosecution’s case was that while she had been depressed, Dickason had known what she was doing and yet did not contemplate stopping. She struggled to adapt to motherhood and was resentful at the way the children got in the way of her relationship with her husband Graham.

The Crown argued the deaths were caused by Dickason’s anger and a loss of control. It said any disturbance of her mind as a result of childbirth “was long gone”, and the explanation of the “altruistic motive” only arose after treatment at Hillmorton Hospital a month after the killings.

The judge had told the jury there would be four verdicts available to them – guilty of murder, not guilty of murder but guilty of infanticide; act of murder proven but not criminally responsible on account of insanity; act of infanticide proven but not criminally responsible due to insanity.

He had said there was no doubt Dickason killed the little girls and that she was very mentally unwell, however, the jury had to decide whether she was so disturbed she could not be held criminally culpable, reports The New Zealand Herald.

Dickason will be remanded in a hospital or secure facility for assessment before sentencing, with the judge adding that being remanded in prison was not appropriate at this time, given she was under a compulsory treatment order.

He said he sought expert reports on her mental state and what sentence will be appropriate for her.

As the Dickason trial grabbed headlines around the world, the first pill specifically designed to treat postpartum depression was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, as reported in MedicalBrief.

A UCLA Health report says he drug could revolutionise treatment for new parents because it is so fast-acting and effective.

Misty Richards, MD, MS a UCLA Health reproductive psychiatrist, said zuranolone, which would be prescribed under the brand name Zurzuvae, could begin providing relief from debilitating symptoms in a matter of days.

By comparison, the antidepressants currently used for postpartum depression can take up to six weeks to work.

“We’ve never before had an oral, FDA-approved antidepressant work this quickly,” said Richards, co-medical director of the Maternal Outpatient Mental Health Services Clinic. “This covers a major gap, which is the waiting period for the other medications to work.”

On 4 August, the FDA approved Zurzuvae, which is to be taken once a day for 14 days. The drug is expected to become available at the end of the year. Pricing and coverage by insurers have not yet been announced.

Richards, an assistant clinical professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, said the oral medication improves upon a once heralded infusion treatment, called Zulresso, which was approved in 2019 as the first medication for postpartum depression. Despite its effectiveness, it never gained traction because of an array of barriers, including expense and the need to administer it over several days in a hospital.

“The promise of this medication, why it’s a game changer, is that it’s an oral version,” she said of Zurzuvae. “It doesn’t involve an infusion. It doesn’t involve an inpatient stay. The side effects are mild.”When it comes to postpartum depression, time is of the essence for both parents and babies.

“It’s almost like an antibiotic – you use zuranolone for 14 days and then you’re done,” Richards said. “The benefits can begin as early as three days. The median response rate is about nine days. In a little over a week, you’re going to be noticing a peak effect.”

The new pill differs from traditional antidepressants, which are effective only with daily use. Zurzuvae’s benefits last for about 45 days. But since postpartum depression lasts on average for about a year, Richards said most people would need more treatment than just Zurzuvae.

She said she envisions prescribing the new drug to patients along with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), such as Zoloft. When taking both, by the time the Zurzuvae wears off, the SSRI would kick in.

“It can bridge a patient to when an antidepressant becomes effective,” she said. “This isn’t a magic pill. It’s a promising pill in combination with other treatment modalities that we know are tried and true.”

She said physicians are still waiting for studies on how the new oral medication interacts with breastmilk. She expects data to be available soon.

Postpartum depression is more severe and persistent. Up to 20% of parents who give birth may be affected, Richards said. Symptoms may include extreme sadness, guilt, anxiety, difficulty caring for the baby and thoughts of self-harm.

“This could save lives,” Richards said of the new medication. “It serves as another barrier against severe postpartum depression and suicidality.”

Richards said stigma was a huge barrier to care, with women sometimes comparing themselves to family and friends and feeling inadequate.

“This has the potential to offer the near immediate relief that many mothers are wanting,” she said. “I think it can really help preserve the bond between baby and mother, that frankly, is one of the most important things in that first year of life.”

UCLA Health New pill to treat postpartum depression could be a game changer

RNZ article – Lauren Dickason trial: Jury finds mother guilty of murdering her three daughters

TimesLIVE article –  Lauren Dickason is guilty of murder, jury says, as parents cite 'crippling disease' for family tragedy (Restricted access)

 

1News article – Lauren Dickason guilty of murdering her three girls (Open access)

 

New Zealand Herald article – Lauren Dickason trial: Jury finds mum guilty of murdering her three children in majority verdict (Open access)

 

See more from MedicalBrief archives:

 

Dickason trial churns up difficult parenting issues

 

Murders, suicide would be a 'happy ending’, believed Dickason

 

No evidence of insanity when Dickason killed children, court hears

 

 

 

 

 

 

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