Doctors treating Elizabeth Struhs recommended an involuntary mental health assessment for her mother, Kerrie Struhs, citing concerns that her religious beliefs led her to delusional thinking about her daughter's medical condition, a coroner has heard. Elizabeth, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, died on January 7, 2022, after her insulin treatment was discontinued by her father, Jason Struhs.
The case came before Coroner Ainslie Kirkegaard following Elizabeth’s death at her family home in Rangeville, Toowoomba. Evidence presented revealed that Kerrie Struhs’s faith in a religious sect that rejects medical intervention contributed to her refusal to provide necessary care for her daughter. Kerrie and her husband Jason became involved with this extreme form of Christianity, which includes a denial of conventional medicine. Though Jason was initially skeptical of Kerrie’s views, he eventually converted and adopted the sect’s beliefs.
Elizabeth first came to the attention of child safety authorities in 2019 after being hospitalized with late-stage diabetic ketoacidosis, a potentially fatal complication of type 1 diabetes, characterized by the body’s inability to produce insulin. At the time, Elizabeth was so ill she was in a coma and close to death. Despite this critical condition, Kerrie Struhs resisted taking her daughter to hospital, insisting that Elizabeth would be miraculously healed through prayer.
Information from an interview involving child safety officers and health staff was submitted to the court, detailing Kerrie’s statements. She reportedly expressed the belief that Elizabeth could not continue to have diabetes and that healing would occur through divine intervention. Medical professionals involved emphasized to Kerrie that type 1 diabetes is a chronic, lifelong condition for which no cure exists.
Doctors in Brisbane consistently advised child safety officers against returning Elizabeth to her mother, describing Kerrie’s beliefs as “delusional.” One child safety officer described feeling “stonewalled” when attempting to engage with Kerrie on the need for medical treatment and mental health assessment. Notes from a phone call revealed that Kerrie was unwilling to undergo any mental health evaluation, prompting doctors to recommend an involuntary assessment be arranged by child safety authorities.
Despite such warnings, child safety officers later returned Elizabeth to her father’s care in August 2019 after developing a voluntary safety plan intended to protect her without escalating to court intervention. Both Kerrie and Jason Struhs were subsequently convicted of failing to provide the necessities of life, following delays in seeking appropriate medical treatment for Elizabeth. Kerrie received a prison sentence as a result of these convictions.
This case highlights the challenges faced by child welfare and medical professionals in situations where religious beliefs impact critical health decisions, and raises questions about how best to protect vulnerable children under such circumstances.