Mum, dad, fringe ‘church’ members accused of killing 8yo Elizabeth Struhs found guilty of manslaughter

A judge has returned a bombshell verdict in the trial of 14 members of a cult-like religious circle who were accused of killing an eight-year-old girl.

Members of a fringe faith-healing congregation accused of fatally withholding a young girl’s lifesaving medicine have been found guilty of her manslaughter – with the father and leader of the “church” found not guilty of murder.

Supreme Court Justice Martin Burns handed down his verdict against the 14 members of the cult-like religious sect known as The Saints, who are on trial over the death of Elizabeth Struhs in early 2022.

The eight-year-old had incurable Type 1 diabetes and was found dead in her family home in Rangeville, a suburb of Toowoomba in regional Queensland.

Elizabeth Struhs died in her family’s Rangeville home after members of her home ‘church’ group allegedly withdrew her insulin. Picture: Supplied

Members of the group, known as The Saints, will learn their fates at the Supreme Court in Brisbane (pictured) today. Picture: NewsWire / Dan Peled

The 14 members of the group are alleged to have withheld Elizabeth’s insulin for a week, resulting in her death between January 6 or 7, 2022 from diabetic ketoacidosis. Picture: Court Sketch / NewsWire

Members of a fringe faith-healing congregation accused of fatally withholding a young girl’s lifesaving medicine have been found guilty of her manslaughter – with the father and leader of the “church” found not guilty of murder.

Supreme Court Justice Martin Burns handed down his verdict against the 14 members of the cult-like religious sect known as The Saints, who are on trial over the death of Elizabeth Struhs in early 2022.

The eight-year-old had incurable Type 1 diabetes and was found dead in her family home in Rangeville, a suburb of Toowoomba in regional Queensland.

The child’s condition worsened until she died of diabetic ketoacidosis between January 6-7.

Jason Struhs, 53, and 63-year-old Brendan Luke Stevens – who is the leader of The Saints – were both charged with Elizabeth’s murder, while Kerrie Struhs, 49, is charged with manslaughter.

Elizabeth’s older brother Zachary Alan Struhs, 22, Loretta Mary Stevens, 67, – the wife of Brendan Stevens – and the couple’s adult children Acacia Naree Stevens, 32, Therese Maria Stevens, 37, Sebastian James Stevens, 24, Andrea Louise Stevens, 35, Camellia Claire Stevens, 29, and Alexander Francis Stevens, 26, Lachlan Stuart Schoenfisch, 34, and his wife Samantha Emily Schoenfisch, 26, and a third woman, Keita Courtney Martin, 24, were also charged with manslaughter.

All 14 defendants have pleaded not guilty to their charges and have refused legal representation.

Due to limited seating to accommodate the group, media and members of the public packed out the overflow courtroom at Brisbane Supreme Court to view the judgment.

Mr Struhs and Mr Stevens were both found not guilty of murder on Wednesday.

Justice Burns returned guilty verdicts for the alternative counts of manslaughter for the pair – in addition to the other 12 members of The Saints.

The group will be formally sentenced on February 11.

Each member of The Saints showed little emotion and appeared to shrug their shoulders after the verdicts were handed down.

Outside court, Jayde Struhs - Elizabeth’s older sister and the estranged daughter of the Struhs’ - said it had been a “hard three years”.

“Not a moment has gone by where I haven’t thought about my little sister,” she told reporters.

Jayde Struhs, the older sister of Elizabeth Struhs, said it had been a ‘long three years’ waiting for an outcome in the court case.Picture: NewsWire

Ms Struhs said she felt the court made the right decision and she was ‘relieved’ those found responsible were found guilty. Picture: NewsWire

“I think the court made the right decision and I’m relieved those responsible were found guilty for their actions.”

In his judgment – published online – Justice Burns notes Elizabeth was a “vibrant, happy child” with her whole life ahead of her, and she was “lovingly cared for” by her parents and “adored” by members of the congregation.

“However, due to a singular belief in the healing power of God which, to the minds of her parents and the other members of the Church left no room for recourse to any form of medical care or treatment, she was deprived of the one thing that would most definitely have kept her alive – insulin,” the judgment states.

“Her death was inevitable once the administration of that drug was abandoned and when, encouraged and supported by the other accused, her parents refused to seek any medical assistance in the days and nights which followed until her death.”

Justice Burns found Jason Struhs could not be found guilty of murder unless he was satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that at some point between the father’s decision to cease insulin and the time when Elizabeth died, he “knew his failure to provide her with insulin and/or medical care and treatment would probably cause her death.”

“In this respect, it must be proved beyond reasonable doubt Mr Struhs knew of the probability, as opposed to the possibility, of death,” the judgment states.

“Nothing less than a full realisation on his part that Elizabeth would probably die as a consequence of his failure to act would be sufficient to establish murder in this way, that is, murder by reckless indifference to her life.”

Crown Prosecutors Caroline Marco (centre) and Toby Corsbie. Picture: NewsWire

Justice Burns found there was a “reasonable” possibility Jason was “so consumed by the particular belief in the healing power of God that he never came to the full realisation Elizabeth would probably die, believing instead that God would not allow that to happen.

In assessing Brendan Stevens’ charge of manslaughter, Justice Burns ruled: “I could not be satisfied after a consideration of the whole of the evidence admissible against him that Mr Stevens was possessed of the requisite state of mind at any point between the time when the decision was made by Jason Struhs to cease the administration of insulin to Elizabeth and the time when she died.”

Justice Burns was satisfied Kerrie Struhs was guilty of manslaughter by the “complete abdication” of the legal duty she owed to Elizabeth to provide her with a reasonable standard of care.

The others were found guilty of manslaughter because they “counselled and aided the unlawful killing of Elizabeth by intentionally encouraging Jason Struhs to cease providing insulin as well as medical care and treatment to Elizabeth”.

Timeline of tragedy before child’s death

Over the course of the trial, the court was told Kerrie had been a devout member of The Saints for 17 years but Jason had resisted to join.

This began to change in 2019 when Elizabeth became deathly ill from her diabetes – which had not been diagnosed.

Kerrie refused to seek appropriate medical care for her daughter but Jason rushed her to Toowoomba Base Hospital after realising she had lost a significant amount of weight.

Doctors had described Elizabeth being “minutes from death” and if not for Jason’s action, she would not have survived.

Both Kerrie and Jason were charged with failing to supply Elizabeth with the necessaries of life as a result.

The Crown contended Elizabeth’s parents Kerrie Elizabeth Struhs and Jason Richard Struhs opted to withdraw the child’s medicine as a test of Jason’s new-found faith in God. Picture: Supplied / A Current Affair

In 2021, Jason pleaded guilty to the charge and received a suspended sentence, but Kerrie pleaded not guilty and took her case to trial.

She was found guilty by a jury and sentenced to five months’ jail.

Jason was left to care for his family while managing Elizabeth’s insulin intake – something he found draining and difficult.

In August that year, he was baptised into the group by Brendan Stevens.

Jason Struhs was only baptised into The Saints and embraced their extreme beliefs around medicine in August 2021. He is charged with Elizabeth’s murder. Picture: Supplied

Kerrie Struhs is among 13 other people charged with her daughter’s manslaughter, including Elizabeth’s older brother Zachary Alan Struhs. Picture: Supplied

The Crown contended members of The Saints – including Kerrie Struhs – pressured Jason to adopt their extreme beliefs surrounding medicine, and encouraged him to stay firm in his decision to cease Elizabeth’s insulin.

They relied on texts exchanged between members of the group – including one where Jason said he was “scared” and “lost in thought” after seeing his daughter’s condition deteriorating from January 4, 2022.

Brendan Luke Stevens is the leader of The Saints and was alleged to have played a significant role in ensuring Elizabeth’s father did not sway from his decision to stop administering his daughter’s medicine. He is also charged with murder. Picture: Supplied

Brendan was alleged to have organised an impromptu fellowship to encourage the Struhs family and told them over text Elizabeth’s condition was a “little trial” to prove Jason and Kerrie were “faithful” to God.

Others included messages of support for Jason – one from Therese Stevens reading: “Be strong and of good courage. Be not afraid, neither dismayed for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Members of The Saints are alleged to have attended the Struhs’ family home through the week, encouraging Jason and praying for Elizabeth’s condition to be healed.

One photo taken at the Struhs’ home shows members of the Stevens family surrounding Elizabeth, who is lying on a pink mattress in a semiconscious state.

Group claims Elizabeth will rise again

Members of The Saints have denied allegations they pressured Jason Struhs to adopt their beliefs, while some have insisted she will rise from the dead.

Each of the 14 defendants indicated they would not give evidence, but delivered closing submissions on the final day of their trial.

Brendan Stevens claimed the case against them was a form of religious persecution, using his closing submission to go on a lengthy tangent about the Five Eyes security alliance being the “Israel of old”, pigs organs being inserted into human bodies and referring to the resurrection of Lazarus by Jesus in the bible.

The Saints have denied killing Elizabeth and have insisted she will rise again. Picture: Supplied

The Saints’ leader ultimately claimed the congregation did not kill Elizabeth if the evidence suggested she died from a “disease” (diabetic ketoacidosis) which led to her death.

Jason Struhs wept as he described how his daughter was “just sleeping” and he would see her again.

“The only encouragement I received was to trust in God,” he said.

“It was only mine, and Elizabeth’s decision, to stop insulin. No-one else.”

Alexander Stevens also wept at describing how he never betrayed Elizabeth’s trust in him.

“I prayed for her diligently, with the same faith she had,” Alexander sobbed.

“And though I know that we look like fools and idiots, deceived and brainwashed, a laughing stock, I know the opposite is true.

“That God’s word is true, No matter how things may appear.”

Originally published as Mum, dad, fringe ‘church’ members accused of killing 8yo Elizabeth Struhs found guilty of manslaughter