A coronial inquest in Brisbane has revealed that concerns about the safety of Elizabeth Struhs, a young girl with type 1 diabetes, were repeatedly raised years before her death in January 2022. Elizabeth died from diabetic ketoacidosis after her parents and members of their religious sect, known as the Saints, withdrew her insulin treatment, adhering to the group’s belief in miraculous healing.
Elizabeth returned to live with her parents in Toowoomba in 2019 following their convictions for neglect related to a previous incident in which Elizabeth fell into a coma due to lack of medical care. The inquest heard that despite numerous warnings from medical professionals, authorities failed to act decisively to protect her.
Two senior paediatricians from Queensland Children’s Hospital, who cannot be named for legal reasons, testified about their concerns over Elizabeth’s safety. They had repeatedly communicated in writing, and directly with child safety officials, that Elizabeth could not safely live with her mother, Kerrie Struhs, due to her extreme religious beliefs opposing medical treatment. One report, read in court by counsel assisting Simon Hamlyn-Harris, stressed that type 1 diabetes requires complex care and that Elizabeth’s mother’s denial of insulin put her life at risk. Another doctor described Kerrie’s stance as “chilling” and recommended a mental health assessment, noting that Kerrie had refused to visit Elizabeth in hospital or acknowledge her need for medication.
Despite escalating alarm from medical professionals, the child safety department appeared reluctant to intervene effectively. One doctor described feeling “stonewalled” after attempting to engage with child safety officials. She was excluded from later meetings where Elizabeth’s care was discussed, a decision she attributed to poor collaboration between the Toowoomba hospital and health services. Ultimately, Elizabeth was returned to her family under an intervention parental agreement—a voluntary arrangement that falls short of a full child protection order—and was expected to identify and communicate if she felt unwell, an unrealistic expectation for a child of her age.
Elizabeth’s father, Jason Struhs, initially rejected the sect’s beliefs and had previously intervened to save Elizabeth’s life by taking her to hospital in 2019. However, during Kerrie's prison term for neglect, he adopted her religious views and ceased administering insulin to Elizabeth, which contributed to her death. Both parents, alongside their son Zachary Struhs and sect leader Brendan Stevens, were convicted of manslaughter last year in relation to Elizabeth’s death.
The inquest continues as authorities seek to understand the failures that led to this tragedy and how similar cases can be prevented in the future.