Doctor warned Elizabeth Struhs would not be safe years before sect killed her by withdrawing medicine

The tragic death of eight-year-old Elizabeth Struhs, who succumbed to diabetic ketoacidosis in 2022 after her parents and fellow members of a religious sect withheld her life-saving insulin, has triggered a harrowing coronial inquest into systemic failures within Queensland’s child protection services. As the inquest unfolds in Brisbane, testimony has revealed that medical professionals repeatedly warned authorities that Elizabeth was not safe in her mother’s care, only to be met with what one doctor described as being “stonewalled” by child safety officers. This inquiry seeks to determine whether the state’s failure to intervene, despite years of red flags and documented medical concerns, allowed a preventable tragedy to occur at the hands of a group known as “the Saints.”

A History of Ignored Warnings

The inquest has brought to light that the Department of Child Safety was alerted to the family’s extreme religious beliefs as early as 2013, following reports from an older sibling who had fled the home. Despite these early warnings, authorities reportedly found no immediate signs of harm at the time, allowing the family to remain under the influence of the sect. The situation reached a critical juncture in 2019 when Elizabeth was hospitalized in a coma, suffering from severe complications related to her Type 1 diabetes. Following that incident, senior paediatricians at the Queensland Children’s Hospital provided explicit, written warnings to both police and child safety officials, emphasizing that the child could not be safely cared for by her mother due to the family’s rejection of modern medicine.

Counsel assisting the coroner, Simon Hamlyn-Harris, highlighted the gravity of these warnings during the opening of the inquest. He read from a nine-page report submitted by a doctor immediately following the 2019 hospitalization, which stated in bold terms that Elizabeth could not be in her mother’s care if the parent continued to deny the necessity of insulin. Despite these urgent pleas from medical experts, the child was eventually returned to the family home in Toowoomba, where she would ultimately die three years later. The inquest is now tasked with examining why these professional assessments were seemingly disregarded by the agencies charged with protecting the most vulnerable members of society.

The Fatal Beliefs of 'The Saints'

The religious group at the center of the tragedy, known as “the Saints,” held extreme beliefs that rejected medical intervention in favor of divine healing. Members of the sect, including Elizabeth’s parents, Jason and Kerrie Struhs, and the group’s leader, Brendan Stevens, believed that the young girl would be miraculously cured of her incurable condition. When her health began to deteriorate rapidly in January 2022, the group gathered around her to sing and pray rather than seeking the emergency medical attention that could have saved her life. The slow, agonizing nature of her death, which occurred over several days, has left a profound scar on the community and the nation.

Last year, all 14 adult members of the sect were convicted of manslaughter for their roles in the child’s death. The legal proceedings underscored the dangerous intersection of religious extremism and parental neglect, as the defendants maintained their conviction that they were acting in accordance with their faith. The inquest is now looking beyond the criminal culpability of the sect members to scrutinize the adequacy of the government’s response. By examining the interactions between the family and various state departments—including health, education, and corrective services—the coroner aims to identify the specific points where the safety net failed.

Systemic Accountability and Reform

The Queensland government has acknowledged the gravity of the situation, with Premier David Crisafulli confirming the necessity of the inquest to address the “broken” systems inherited by the current administration. Child Safety Minister Amanda Camm described Elizabeth’s death as an avoidable tragedy, emphasizing that the findings of the inquest will be vital in implementing systemic reforms. Advocacy groups, such as Act for Kids, have welcomed the inquiry, noting that while the work of child safety officers is inherently challenging, the level of oversight in this case was clearly insufficient to protect a child in known, high-risk circumstances.

No child should ever have to experience the pain this little girl endured.

As the inquest continues, the focus remains on whether the bureaucratic inertia within the Department of Child Safety was a result of inadequate policy, poor communication, or a failure to prioritize medical expertise over parental rights. The testimony from the paediatricians who were “stonewalled” serves as a chilling reminder of the consequences when professional warnings are silenced by administrative inaction. The final report from the coroner is expected to provide not only a clearer picture of the events leading to January 2022 but also a roadmap for preventing similar tragedies in the future.