Mum charged over diabetic daughter’s manslaughter told parole she would ‘do the same again’, court told
A mum accused of killing her daughter by withholding her insulin medication is alleged to have made a chilling claim to parole officers days after being released from prison.
The mother accused of killing her daughter by withholding her insulin medication for days made a horrifying statement to probation officers that she would “do the same again” just days after she was released from prison.
Kerrie Elizabeth Struhs, 49, is among 13 people on trial over the death of Elizabeth Rose Struhs - her eight-year-old daughter - at her family’s house in Toowoomba.
Brisbane Supreme Court has already been told of how Kerrie Struhs spent several months in jail after she was found guilty of failing to supply her child with the necessaries of life during a prior incident where Elizabeth became unwell back in 2019.
But just two days after being released in December 2021, Kerrie allegedly told officers she would “do the same” again.
Elizabeth, a Type-1 diabetic, died sometime between the evening of January 6 and the morning of January 7, 2022 at her family’s Rangeville home, crown prosecutor Caroline Marco told the court during her opening.
The Crown contends her insulin was withdrawn entirely on Monday (January 3 that year) in line with the beliefs of a cult-like religious group who believed in the healing power of God over medical intervention.
She was found not breathing by Friday morning.
Elizabeth’s mother Kerrie, her father Jason Struhs, 57 and older brother Zachary Alan Struhs, 21, are all members of the group.
Jason Struhs and Brendan Luke Stevens - the 67-year-old leader of the religious group known as The Saints - are both charged with the girl’s murder.
Kerrie and Zachary Struhs are charged with manslaughter.
10 others are also charged with manslaughter, including 67-year-old Loretta Mary Stevens – the wife of Brendan Stevens – and their adult children Acacia Naree Stevens, 31, Therese Maria Stevens, 37, Sebastian James Stevens, 23, Andrea Louise Stevens, 34, Camellia Claire Stevens, 28, and Alexander Francis Stevens, 26, Lachlan Stuart Schoenfisch, 34 and his wife Samantha Emily Schoenfisch, 26, and a third woman, Keita Courtney Martin, 22.
Crown prosecutor Caroline Marco said Elizabeth had previously become unwell from her then-undiagnosed diabetes, leading to Jason rushing her to hospital.
Jason and Kerrie were both charged with failing to supply the necessaries of life to their daughter as a result.
In 2021, Kerrie Struhs was found guilty and sentenced to five months’ jail in 2021.
Jason Struhs gave evidence against his wife during the trial.
He struggled to care for Elizabeth and their other children while Kerrie was in prison, frequently arguing with his adult son Zachary.
The court was told Jason was not a member of The Saints, unlike his wife, and did not share their views on medicine.
This changed around late 2021 when he gradually began to accept their beliefs and was eventually baptised into the group.
Ms Marco said Kerrie Struhs was released from prison on court-ordered parole on December 15, 2021.
Two days later, she attended Toowoomba’s Probation and Parole office for her induction.
“In her induction interview, she stated to the officer she would do the same again because she firmly believed her daughter would have been looked after by God,” Ms Marco said.
“She advised she would not stop another person taking action.”
Ms Marco said communications between Kerrie Struhs and other members of the congregation, and her husband, that she was “trying to stop (Jason) from giving Elizabeth insulin” by using “pressure”.
She said Kerrie’s “less than frank” statements to the parole officer presented the risk she still posed to Elizabeth’s life.
“Despite the five months imprisonment... she firmly held the same views she had and demonstrated no equivocation... in expressing it,” Ms Marco said.
On Thursday, the court was told Elizabeth lay dead for 36 hours before triple-0 was called.
Ms Marco said members of the group spent the day praying and supporting the Struhs.
“They believed, following Elizabeth’s passing, God would raise her from the dead so she could walk amongst them again in this worldly existence,” Ms Marco said.
It was only until 5.07pm on Sunday when Jason called authorities to report the death of his daughter.
The trial continues.