SYSTEM FAILURE: Authorities Knew of “Cult” Danger Years Before Elizabeth Struhs’ Death

BRISBANE — A harrowing coronial inquest has pulled back the curtain on a series of systemic failures that left an eight-year-old girl defenseless against the extreme religious delusions of her own family. Elizabeth Rose Struhs died a “slow and painful” death in January 2022 after her father, under the intense pressure of a fringe church group known as “The Saints,” withdrew the insulin required to treat her Type-1 diabetes.

As the inquest opened this week, the most chilling revelation was not the nature of the crime—which saw 14 cult members convicted in 2025—but the fact that authorities had been warned of the lethal risk to Elizabeth years before she took her final breath.

A Known Danger: The 2019 Warning

The Coroner’s Court heard that Elizabeth first came to the attention of child protection services and police in July 2019. At that time, she was rushed to a Toowoomba hospital “minutes from death,” emaciated and weighing just 13kg. Her mother, Kerrie Struhs, had actively concealed the child’s deteriorating health, driven by the sect’s core belief that modern medicine is a rejection of God’s healing power.

Medical experts at the time were explicit. One forensic medical officer sent an urgent email to child safety officers stating:

“Elizabeth cannot be safely cared for in a home where her mother resides due to the strong beliefs she has expressed.”

Despite this, after her father Jason Struhs promised to administer the life-saving shots, Elizabeth was returned to the family home.

The Conversion and the “Spiritual Gamble”

While Kerrie Struhs served a short prison sentence for the 2019 neglect, the sect turned its focus on Jason. The inquest heard how the “Saints” leader, Brendan Luke Stevens—a former Queensland police officer—applied “unrelenting” pressure on the father to prove his faith.

In August 2021, Jason was baptized in a backyard trough. By the time Kerrie was released on parole in December 2021, the stage was set for tragedy. On New Year’s Day 2022, Jason ceased Elizabeth’s rapid-acting insulin. Days later, he stopped her slow-release doses entirely.

The court previously heard that as Elizabeth’s body began to shut down—suffering through vomiting, unquenchable thirst, and eventual loss of consciousness—the group did not call for help. Instead, they gathered around her mattress to sing and pray, convinced that God would perform a miracle.

The Inquest’s Core Question: Why?

Coroner Ainslie Kirkegaard is now tasked with investigating the “adequacy and appropriateness” of the decisions made by multiple Queensland government agencies.

Why was Elizabeth returned to a home where extreme religious ideology had already nearly killed her?

How was her mother allowed to return to the home on parole just weeks before the medical neglect resumed?

What red flags were missed by the agencies tasked with monitoring the family’s “safety plan”?

Counsel assisting the coroner, Simon Hamlyn-Harris, noted that while the criminal trial established the guilt of the 14 members, the inquest must look at the “unusual circumstances” that allowed this to happen under the nose of the state.

Justice and Aftermath

In February 2025, the Queensland Supreme Court handed down landmark sentences. Jason and Kerrie Struhs were sentenced to 14 and 15 years respectively for manslaughter. The sect leader, Brendan Stevens, received 13 years, with the judge labeling him a “highly manipulative individual.”

Elizabeth’s older sister, Jayde Struhs, who fled the cult years ago, has been a vocal advocate for her sister. Outside the court, she echoed the sentiment driving the current inquest:

“The system failed to protect Elizabeth… we are only here because more wasn’t done sooner to remove her from a credibly unsafe situation.”

The inquest continues, with findings expected to spark a major overhaul of how child protection services handle cases involving extreme religious and medical neglect.

Would you like me to summarize the specific recommendations the medical experts made back in 2019 that were reportedly ignored?

The tragic case of Elizabeth Rose Struhs This video provides a deep dive into the 2025 trial and the background of the “Saints” sect, offering vital context on how the group’s beliefs led to this national tragedy.

Religious group members found guilty of manslaughter of eight-year-old girl – YouTube