Child Safety Officials Warned of Risk to Diabetic Girl Years Before Death

Child safety officials were aware that a young diabetic girl was at extreme risk of death years before her preventable passing, an ongoing coroner's inquest has heard. Eight-year-old Elizabeth Rose Struhs died at her family's home near Toowoomba, west of Brisbane, on January 7, 2022, after her parents and 12 other members of 'the Saints' church group gathered to pray around her.

Elizabeth's father, Jason Richard Struhs, had stopped administering her insulin shots days before her death. The inquest, which began Monday, is examining the adequacy and appropriateness of responses from child safety, health, and other government agencies in the period leading up to Elizabeth's death.

In July 2019, Elizabeth was airlifted to Brisbane Children's Hospital in a state described by a pediatrician as 'minutes from death' after her mother, Kerrie Struhs, refused to seek medical treatment for her then six-year-old daughter. The child was subsequently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

The pediatrician, who cannot be named for legal reasons, testified that Queensland's child protection authority had been unresponsive to concerns that Elizabeth faced an 'extreme risk of harm including death' if returned to her mother, who rejected medical science. The endocrinologist overseeing Elizabeth's care had also reported to Child Safety that her mother believed the girl would be cured of diabetes and would not require insulin. "It is a life-threatening condition... if the mother continues to deny treatment, she cannot be in Kerrie's care," the endocrinologist stated.

Elizabeth's mother had a history of refusing medical and dental treatment for her daughter due to her involvement with 'the Saints' church group. Despite these warnings, the pediatrician told the inquest that Child Safety officials were aware of the endocrinologist's concerns when they decided to return Elizabeth to her mother's care. Officials reportedly focused on the fact that Elizabeth's father, who had not yet joined the cult at that time, would also be involved in her care. However, the medical specialists viewed Jason Struhs as susceptible to pressure from the Saints, according to the pediatrician's testimony.

The safety plan developed by Child Safety relied on the then-six-year-old Elizabeth to self-report if she became unwell, a measure the pediatrician deemed "not developmentally appropriate."

Although Jason Struhs initially agreed to a diabetes treatment plan, he was persuaded by his wife and members of 'the Saints' to discontinue Elizabeth's insulin by January 2022. Elizabeth rapidly deteriorated, losing her ability to speak and falling unconscious before her death.

The inquest also reviewed an earlier interaction with child protection services in 2013. Elizabeth's older sister, Jayde Struhs, had alerted a school nurse to her parents' involvement in an extreme religion based on the Bible, expressing concern for herself and her siblings about the controlling nature of the group and its doctrines. Jayde stated she wanted to leave the family at that time. A Child Safety manager acknowledged the teenager's concerns but stated that no harm was identified.

Jayde left the family home a year later but maintained contact with her younger sister. The system has since been updated, with staff now placing greater reliance on professional judgment over prescriptive guidelines, the coroner heard.

Elizabeth's parents, along with Saints leader Brendan Stevens and 11 others, were found guilty of manslaughter in 2025 and are serving 14-year jail terms. The inquest is scheduled to continue for two weeks.