Killer religious cult members pose risk on release into community

Members of an extreme religious group who killed a little girl could present a risk on release from prison, which for some of the killers could be as soon as this year.

A cult expert has warned that members of an extreme religious group who killed a little girl could present a risk on release from prison, which for some of the killers could be as soon as this year.

Tore Klevjer urged prison authorities to separate members of the Saints, jailed Wednesday for the manslaughter of Elizabeth Struhs in Toowoomba in January 2022, from their leader Brendan Stevens who was described by sentencing judge Justice Martin Burns as a “dangerous highly manipulative individual”.

Brendan Luke Stevens Pic: A Current Affair.

Mr Klevjer, a counsellor specialising in controlling religious organisations, strongly recommended members of the Saints released on parole be mandated to undertake counselling on release.

“There’s always a risk … the bit of time in prison and coming out on parole may rattle some of them enough to rethink their beliefs, or not,” Mr Klevjer said.

“There’s definitely a chance that some of them may come out and think that they’ve done the right thing, because to admit that you’ve done the wrong thing is pretty painful.”

Elizabeth’s parents Jason and Kerrie Struhs were jailed for 14 years after they withdrew insulin from their eight year old diabetic daughter in line with the Saints extreme religious belief that god can heal illness and modern medicine was to be rejected. The other 12 members of the group were found to have aided and encouraged them.

Brendan Stevens was sentenced to 13 years while nine remaining Saints were sentenced to between nine and seven years jail.

However Elizabeth’s eldest brother Zachary and fellow church member Samantha Schoenfisch were both sentenced to six years which with time served will mean they become eligible for parole this year.

Jason Richard Struhs and Kerrie Elizabeth Struhs. Pic: Supplied

“If they come out on parole, I don’t know that they would be subject to any kind of intervention or anything, which is a bit sad,” Mr Klevjer said.

“Ideally, they should have to attend some kind of therapy or some kind of workshopping or something around this issue.”

Mr Klevjer said the government should provide more funding and resources in this area similar to domestic violence which he said was strikingly similar to cultish behaviour.

“It’s almost line by line, the same, except for the religious component … they’re trapped by the same process as domestic violence victims,” he said.

Justice Burns sentenced most of the offenders to lesser terms because of their diminished role in Elizabeth’s death but also due to the indoctrination and pressure they had faced at the hands of Brendan.

“For many of you, that occurred from birth and in the time since,” he said.

Mr Klevjer said it would be “ideal” if the killers were separated in prison from Brendan.

“When your cult leader is right there in the room with you they wield an awful lot of power and control,” he said.

“They need time to get out from under his influence and rethink things.”

Hetty Johnston, the founder of child protection organisation Bravehearts, said she would have liked to see the defendants get the maximum sentence, in this case life imprisonment, but regardless she was surprised by the strength of the sentences.

“It’s a shame they didn’t get the maximum sentence because it would have sent a stronger message,” she said.

The home where Elizabeth Struhs was found.

“But I’m grateful that they got what they got because I didn’t think they’d get that much.

“So I really do want to congratulate the government for making those changes, and secondly, the judge for having sentenced as strongly as he felt he could in the circumstances.”

The average sentence for manslaughter in Queensland is 8.8 years for adult offenders.

In 2019 the then Labor government introduced stronger sentencing for manslaughter following a report by Queensland’s Sentencing Advisory Council that showed the average sentence for the manslaughter of a child was 6.8 years.

The legislation also expanded the definition of murder to include “reckless indifference”.

Jason and Brendan Stevens were charged with murder by reckless indifference which was the first time the offence had gone to trial in Queensland.

Attorney-General Deb Frecklington was asked whether the government would revisit the legislation given Jason and Brendan were both found not guilty of murder by reckless indifference.

“I have watched this case unfold with utter heartbreak for a little girl who should have been cared for and protected and was left horrified by the lack of remorse,” she said.

“Like all significant matters, I will be considering the decision.

“We must do more for children like Elizabeth.”

Legal commentator and top Queensland lawyer Bill Potts said reckless indifference to murder was a rare charge to see at trial because the circumstances were often borderline when it came to culpability.

“Their beliefs however deluded were not such as to put it into the highest category of murder,” he said.

“The penalty itself reflects that massive degree of delusion and indifference to their daughter’s life, because that poor girl must have died in absolute agony. And they knew it.”

Mr Potts said under the present legislation the government could not keep the Saints indefinitely detained because it was not a sexual offence.

Originally published as Killer religious cult members pose risk on release into community