Judge to hand down verdict after religious congregation accused of killing an eight-year-old girl by withholding her diabetes medication
The parents and 12 members of a religious congregation accused of killing an eight-year-old girl by withholding her diabetes medication are due to receive their verdicts after a months-long trial.
Elizabeth Rose Struhs died on January 7, 2022 at her family’s home in Toowoomba, west of Brisbane, after six days without her prescribed insulin shots for type-1 diabetes.
The girl’s father, Jason Richard Struhs, 53, faced a judge-only trial for murder by reckless indifference to life in Queensland’s Supreme Court over nine weeks starting in July 2024.
The leader of the family’s religious group, Brendan Luke Stevens, 63, also faced a murder charge during the same trial before Justice Martin Burns.
Elizabeth’s 49-year-old mother, Kerrie Elizabeth Struhs, and 22-year-old brother Zachary Alan Struhs faced trial for manslaughter along with 10 other members of ‘The Saints’ congregation.
Stevens spoke for all defendants at the start of the trial and claimed they held a reasonable belief that God would heal Elizabeth in line with the group’s rejection of modern medicine.
‘This isn’t really a trial about murder of a child as it is religious persecution,’ Stevens said.
After considering his verdicts for nearly five months, Justice Burns will deliver them on Wednesday in a courtroom specially modified to put all 14 defendants on trial at the same time.
Elizabeth Rose Struhs died on January 7, 2022 at her family’s home in Toowoomba, west of Brisbane , after six days without her prescribed insulin shots for type-1 diabetes.
Murder and manslaughter verdicts will be given to 14 members of ‘The Saints’ congregation
Therese Maria Stevens, 37, Sebastian James Stevens, 24, Loretta Mary Stevens, 67, Camellia Claire Stevens, 29, Andrea Louise Stevens, 35, Alexander Francis Stevens, 26, Acacia Naree Stevens, 32, Samantha Emily Schoenfisch, 26, Lachlan Stuart Schoenfisch, 34, and Keita Courtney Martin, 24 were the other religious group members on trial.
Justice Burns also has the option of finding Elizabeth’s father and Brendan Stevens guilty of the alternative charge of manslaughter.
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