Source : Perth Now news
An inquest into the death of a young girl, who died at the hands of a faith-healing cult after they stopped administering her insulin, is set to examine whether government authorities failed to protect her or do more to prevent her death.
Elizabeth Rose Struhs, 8, died in her family’s Rangeville home, in Toowoomba, in January 2022.
Her parents, Jason Richard Struhs and Kerrie Elizabeth Struhs, made the decision to stop administering her lifesaving insulin medication – used to treat her type 2 diabetes – in the days prior to her death, under the belief God would heal her of the condition.
Members of her faith-healing home church, known as the “Saints”, who reject modern medicine and forms of medical treatment, spent days praying for God to heal Elizabeth as her condition deteriorated.
Fourteen people are serving prison sentences for her manslaughter.
Four years later, a coronial inquest is set to commence in Brisbane – examining potential failings from government departments who dealt with the Struhs family prior to Elizabeth’s death.
Coroner Ainslie Kirkegaard will examine any possible issues surrounding the protective needs of Elizabeth and the adequacy and appropriateness of contact by multiple government bodies, including Department of Education, Child Safety, Queensland Police, Queensland Corrective Services, and various Queensland health services.
Up to 30 witnesses are expected to give evidence over the course of the inquest, scheduled to run from Monday until October 23.
The inquest is due to start at 10am.
Fourteen convicted on Elizabeth’s death
The Saints consisted of Elizabeth’s parents, her brother Zachary Alan Struhs, church leader Brendan Luke Stevens, his wife Loretta Mary Stevens, their adult children Acacia Naree Stevens, Therese Maria Stevens, Sebastian James Stevens, Andrea Louise Stevens, Camellia Claire Stevens and Alexander Francis Stevens, Lachlan Stuart Schoenfisch and his wife Samantha Emily Schoenfisch, and Keita Courtney Martin.
The fringe Toowoomba-based sect believed God healed all ailments and rejected forms of medical treatment and medicine.
While remaining separate from the faith-healing cult for years, Jason Struhs had recently converted at the time of her death in 2022.
At the conclusion of a mammoth 2025 Supreme Court trial, all 14 members were found guilty of Elizabeth’s manslaughter.
Jason Struhs and Brendan Stevens were each found not guilty of the more serious charge of murder.
The group are currently serving prison sentences, ranging from six to 14 years.
Evidence was given during the trial that Jason struggled with the decision to cease Elizabeth’s insulin on January 3, 2022, after he began seeing his daughter’s health decline.
Over the course of the week, the Saints encouraged Jason to stick to his decision while continuing to pray for Elizabeth’s healing.
No-one phoned an ambulance, took her to hospital or administered the insulin, leading to Elizabeth’s death from diabetic ketoacidosis somewhere between January 6-7.
Kerrie Struhs, the mother of Elizabeth Struhs who is charged with her daughter’s manslaughter, talks about Elizabeth’s hospitalisation in 2019 and how she didn’t believe the hospital helped her.
Emergency services were not phoned some 36 hours after her death.
All of the church’s members elected to represent themselves during the trial – some stating they did not believe Elizabeth was dead, rather she was “sleeping” and would get better.
Parent’s previous neglect
It was further revealed Elizabeth’s parents had previously been before the court for neglecting her medical needs.
The young girl was first diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2019, after a near-death encounter where she suffered diabetic ketoacidosis.
Her mother Kerrie refused to take her to the doctor despite her daughter’s declining condition.
Jason, who was not a member of the group at the time, intervened and saved his daughter’s life.
She was rushed to hospital in Toowoomba before being flown to Brisbane Children’s Hospital were she was treated for her serious condition.
Jason and Kerrie were charged with failing to supply their daughter with the necessaries of life.
Jason pleaded guilty to the charge and received a suspended sentence, but Kerrie opted to take her case to trial in the District Court.
In July 2021, she was jailed for five months after being found guilty.
Jason Struhs, the father of Elizabeth Struhs who is charged with his daughter’s murder, talks to detectives on the day Elizabeth was found dead about his decision to stop administering his child’s insulin.
Elizabeth was returned into the care of Jason.
His decision to stop administering her insulin came just weeks after Kerrie was released on parole in December 2021.
Questions of authorities
The decision to return Elizabeth to her family in 2019 following her hospitalisation occurred after Kerrie said she would “not interfere” with the administration of insulin by her husband, but maintained she would not seek medical attention at any time.
Jason reportedly told authorities “he could be relied on” to maintain her medical treatment.
An Intervention with Parental Approval (IPA) at the time noted both Struhs parents were willing to work with Child Safety following Elizabeth’s discharged.
On December 17, 2019 – three months after Elizabeth was returned home – the IPA was closed.
Aside from the department being notified of their 2019 charges, there was no further involvement with the Struhs family until Elizabeth’s death in 2022.
The Department of Child Safety also had a brief involvement with the Struhs family in 2013 – six years prior to Elizabeth almost dying from her then-undiagnosed diabetes.
The circumstances surrounding the case, including Kerrie Struhs’s supervision while on parole, were also reportedly subject to an internal QCS review that resulted in some processes being strengthened.
