Elizabeth died on 7 January 2022, at her home in Rangeville, Toowoomba, after her insulin was stopped by her father, Jason Struhs. A long-term sceptic of his wife\u2019s beliefs, he had converted to them and joined her religious sect \u2013 which subscribed to an extreme form of Christianity and denied the use of medicine \u2013 in 2021.<\/p>\n
The coroner, Ainslie Kirkegaard, heard evidence from three child safety officers involved in Elizabeth\u2019s case on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Elizabeth came to the attention of the department of child safety in 2019<\/a> after she was hospitalised with late-stage diabetic ketoacidosis on 17 July, a potentially fatal ailment that affects people with type 1 diabetes who are not given insulin. The court has heard she was so unwell she was in a coma and nearly died<\/a>.<\/p>\n Despite her poor condition, Kerrie objected to Jason driving her to hospital, believing Elizabeth would be miraculously healed.<\/p>\n Kerrie later participated in an interview involving child safety officers and health staff.<\/p>\n Contemporaneous notes taken from the meeting presented in court read: \u201cKerrie stated that Elizabeth cannot keep this disease and she will be healed.<\/p>\n \u201c(A health) consultant stated that they have treated 100s of children and parents and no one has ever reverted back from the diabetes or got rid of type 1,\u201d the notes read.<\/p>\n \u201cKerrie stated that she has to trust in God to heal Elizabeth as God promised her he will hear her.\u201d<\/p>\n A consultant asked Kerrie what she would do if she was home with Elizabeth and her sugar levels dropped, a sign of health risk.<\/p>\n \u201cKerrie stated that she will pray straight away,\u201d the notes read.<\/p>\n The coroner has heard that doctors based in Brisbane repeatedly urged child safety officers not to return her home due to her religious beliefs, which they deemed \u201cdelusional\u201d, but one told the court on Monday she felt \u201cstonewalled\u201d by them<\/a>.<\/p>\n Notes of a phone call she made at the time were presented in court on Thursday.<\/p>\n \u201cChild safety officer explained that the mother would not engage in any mental health assessments if recommended given her beliefs,\u201d a child safety officer told her.<\/p>\n![\"Fourteen](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1100.jpg\")
Fourteen members of religious sect found guilty of killing eight-year-old Elizabeth Struhs – video<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1792062381_875_2998.jpg\")
<\/p>\n