Inside ‘The Saints’ religious group

Twelve adult members of a Toowoomba fundamentalist religious group known as “The Saints” have been charged with the murder of eight-year-old Elizabeth Struhs. So what is The Saints?

Twelve adult members of a Toowoomba fundamentalist religious group known as “The Saints” have been charged with the murder of eight-year-old diabetic girl Elizabeth Struhs.

So what is The Saints?

Elizabeth Rose Struhs.

The children were expected to marry into the “church”, preach their ways to fellow students at school and were not allowed to celebrate Christmas or Easter – this was life inside Toowoomba’s fundamentalist family religious group “The Saints”.

Made up of three family groups, The Saints strictly followed the King James Bible and held prayer sessions at the home of one of the families. They were not affiliated with any established church.

Children were not to complete higher education and sport was not allowed because it was seen as a distraction from learning about God. The women’s role was to clean and tend to the children.

But the belief that police have alleged led to the death of an eight-year-old girl is that God would heal the sick. Elizabeth Struhs died in January after her lifesaving insulin was stopped.

The house where Jason Richard Struhs and Kerrie Elizabeth Struhs practised their faith.

Her parents Jason Richard Struhs and Kerrie Elizabeth Struhs have been charged with her murder, with another 12 adult church members arrested on Tuesday and charged late Tuesday night.

They are expected to front court on Wednesday.

Elizabeth, a type 1 diabetic, died after six days without her insulin as the 14 adult members of the group sang songs and prayed over her.

The Saints believe that God will heal the sick and resurrect the dead. Police have alleged all 14 adults denied Elizabeth medical care as she became more and more sick. They have alleged all 14 were at her Rangeville home during that time.