A jury has watched a woman switch personalities for a third time, this time to that of a five-year-old girl during the trial of her allegedly abusive father.
WARNING: This story contains graphic details that readers may find distressing.
A man, who can only be known as SN, has pleaded not guilty in Newcastle District Court to sexually abusing two of his children over a seven-year period, ending in 2016.
The jury has been told one of the children, LN, has been diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder (DID), previously known as multiple personality disorder.
The dissociation has been described by Crown prosecutor Kristy Mulley as “an adaptive process that is used defensively to manage an overwhelmingly traumatic experience.”
Five-year-old gives evidence
LN began the evidence last Friday and since then has switched to three other identities or alters.
Today, LN appeared composed in the witness box as herself before Crown Prosecutor Kristy Mulley asked to speak to the alter of a five-year-old girl.
“LN, I don’t have any more questions for you. Will you be able to get [the little girl] for me?” Ms Mulley asked.
“Yes, I can. I just need some music. I don’t have access to [the girl] on call, so it is going to take a minute,” she said.
As she began to alter personalities, LN played a song through headphones after telling Judge Ian Bourke she wanted the name of the song suppressed.
“I don’t want people to know [the little girl’s] song. It is a privacy thing,” she said.
Within seconds, LN sunk into her chair, grabbed her soft toy “Bunny”, and sucked her fingers and then spoke.
In a bubbly voice, she said, “I am 5”.
She spoke about preschool before alleging chronic abuse of a physical and sexual nature.
“Daddy tickles [the girl] on the widgie [vagina]. He ties [the girl] up in the bedroom and [the girl] isn’t allowed out,” she said.
Her voice shook as she said, “I no like tickles”. She then violently shook, dragged and hit “Bunny” before slamming his head against the witness box.
Core personality returns
After speaking as the young girl’s alter, Ms Mulley asked to speak to LN herself.
But the young girl did not want to leave.
“[The girl] want to go play in sandpit … go on swings,” she said.
Ultimately she relented.
“[The girl]” has got to go. Bye, bye,” she said, while waving to the jury with high pitched squeaks.
LN and her alters have been giving evidence in Newcastle District Court. (ABC: Jesmine Cheong)
LN then shut her eyes before looking up in what appeared to be a dishevelled and sleepy state.
“I’m sorry. I am just dissociated. I can’t walk. I am just too dissociated to walk,” she said.
After spending several minutes resting in the witness box, LN left the courtroom.
What is dissociative identity disorder?
During the trial, the jury heard evidence from Dianna Kenny, a former professor of psychology at the University of Sydney and a psychiatrist, George Blair-West, about the diagnosis of dissociative identity disorder.
Last week, Dr Blair-West told the court the disorder was not a mental illness but instead a “powerful reaction” of the human mind.
“There is nothing wrong with LN’s brain … she just developed from a very young age an incredibly powerful defence system against betrayal trauma,” he said.
Dr Kenny also testified, describing dissociative identity disorder as a severe mental illness.
“It is about as severe as they get,” she said.
The case is the first of its kind in Australia where an alter is giving evidence.
There was a case in 2019 where another woman had permission to give evidence as a different personality, but she never got to because her father pleaded guilty mid-trial before any alters were called.
LN and her alters are due to be cross-examined by defence barrister Garry Sundstrom starting tomorrow.
Eight weeks has been set aside for the trial before Judge Ian Bourke.
