Alleged homicide victim Elizabeth Struhs’ mum Kerrie had served time for child neglect

The mum of a Toowoomba girl who died after allegedly being taken off insulin so “God could heal her” was jailed previously for neglecting the child so badly that she fell into a coma.

Brendan Luke Stevens, 60, is the alleged leader of a church accused of being involved in withholding medicine to eight-year-old Elizabeth Struhs (inset), resulting in her death.

The mother of an eight-year-old Toowoomba girl who died after allegedly being taken off her insulin so she could be “healed by God” was released from prison just three weeks earlier after being jailed for neglecting the child so badly that she fell into a coma.

Elizabeth Struhs’ health rapidly declined in mid-2019 to the point she could not walk, became severely underweight and slipped into unconsciousness, but her mother Kerrie Struhs failed to seek medical attention for her, declaring “God would not fail here” and “God could fix this”, a court heard.

By the time her father Jason took her to the hospital on July 17, 2019, Elizabeth was in a coma and the emergency staff believed she was dead.

Artist impression of Kerrie Struhs by Brett Lethbridge.

She was placed on life support, spent nine days in intensive care and even after receiving replacement fluids, still only weighed about 13.4kg, well below her expected weight of at least 20kg. She survived.

Kerrie and Jason Struhs’ prior offending against Elizabeth can now be revealed after the Chief Justice made an order on Monday that their trial for the little girl’s homicide would be heard by a judge alone, not a jury.

Elizabeth died in January 2022 after allegedly being deprived of her diabetes medication, so she could be “healed by God”.

Jason and Kerrie Struhs, along with 12 other members of their religious group known as The Saints, are all alleged by prosecutors to have prayed and sang songs as the little girl died.

Doctors who treated Elizabeth after her presentation in 2019 diagnosed her with diabetes.

She had severe diabetic ketoacidosis, which caused swelling of her brain and her body went into severe shock.

Elizabeth Rose Struhs.

Kerrie and Jason Struhs were each sentenced in 2021 for failing to provide the necessities of life for Elizabeth arising from the incident.

Kerrie Struhs fought the charge but was found guilty and sentenced to serve five months of an 18-month term of imprisonment after a self-represented trial.

In sentencing her, Judge Jennifer Rosengren said a deterrent sentence was especially important to prevent similar crimes, noting disturbing comments by Kerrie to police that she would do it again.

“It is necessary to impose a significant penalty in the hope of deterring others from engaging in such objectively dangerous and unacceptable conduct whilst pursuing personal religious or spiritual beliefs,” she said on July 15, 2021.

“It is of some concern that you told the police that you would do the same again, even knowing of the dire situation that your daughter was in when she was taken to the hospital.”

Artist impression of Jason Struhs by Brett Lethbridge.

Her husband Jason, a baker, was found to have less culpability and co-operated with police and was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment wholly suspended for 12 months.

He pleaded guilty to the same charge of failing to provide the necessities of life.

Kerrie Struhs was released from custody on parole on December 15, 2021.

The crown will allege in the current proceedings that Elizabeth died just 23 days later on January 7, 2022, about one week after she was allegedly taken off her diabetes medication so she could be healed by God.

The Struhs have not been found guilty of the fresh charges relating to Elizabeth’s death and they are entitled to the presumption of innocence.

In sentencing Jason Struhs in May 2021, Judge Ken Barlow KC said the father had been aware of the little girl’s declining health for days and intended to take her to hospital.

Brendan Luke Stevens, 60, is the alleged leader of a church accused of being involved in withholding medicine to eight-year-old Elizabeth Struhs, resulting in her death.

“However, your wife and some of your other children have strong beliefs apparently, which were known to you, that God would look after the health of all of you and that it would be in breach of her faith in God that she allow any medical treatment to be given to any of your children,” Judge Barlow said.

The day after an argument with his wife about Elizabeth’s health, the court heard Jason Struhs found the girl non-responsive and he took her to the hospital and spent the next 10 weeks caring for her.

“I accept that you have considerable remorse for not having looked after your daughter before the time you took her to hospital and not having recognised earlier the seriousness of her illness,” Judge Barlow said.

“I accept that you have learnt a big lesson from this and that you would never allow this to happen again.”

Subsequently, Elizabeth’s parents were arrested in January 2022 and the 12 other members of the religious group were arrested months later in July.

Chief Justice Helen Bowskill on Monday said it was alleged that Brendan Stevens, 61, was the leader of the Toowoomba-based religious group known as The Saints.

He is charged with Elizabeth’s murder on the basis that prosecutors allege he counselled either or both of her parents to cease providing insulin and or not provide her medical care, knowing that to do so would probably cause her death.

Artist impression of Brendan Stevens by Brett Lethbridge.

“Jason Struhs is Elizabeth’s father, he is charged with her murder on the basis that he caused the death of Elizabeth by failing to provide insulin to her and or not provide medical care and treatment for her knowing that would probably cause her death,” Justice Bowskill said of the allegations.

Justice Bowskill further summarised the allegations in the current case: “Kerrie Struhs is Elizabeth’s mother, she is charged with manslaughter on the basis that she failed to provide insulin to Elizabeth and or did not provide medical treatment for her,” her Honour said.

“The remaining 11 defendants … are each charged with manslaughter on the basis that by their actions they counselled and or procured and or aided Elizabeth’s parents to unlawfully kill her.”

They are Zachary Alan Struhs, 20, Loretta Mary Stevens, 66, Therese Maria Stevens, 35, Andrea Louise Stevens, 33, Acacia Naree Stevens, 30, Camellia Claire Stevens, 27, Alexander Francis Stevens, 24, Sebastian James Stevens, 22, Keita Courtney Martin, 21, Lachlan Stuart Schoenfisch, 32 and Samantha Emily Schoenfisch, 24.

Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Todd Fuller KC made a successful application in the Brisbane Supreme Court on Monday seeking to have the case heard by a judge alone with no jury.

Mr Fuller said if all 14 defendants were tried together as they had requested, it was estimated it would run for at least three months with the trial expected to hear from dozens of expert witnesses and watch 100 hours of the defendants’ police interviews.

He submitted it would be in the interests of justice for the trial to be heard by a judge alone given the nature of the matter, the logistics of trying 14 defendants at once, and the notoriety of the case.

The 14 defendants all consented to having a judge-only trial.

Originally published as Alleged homicide victim Elizabeth Struhs’ mum Kerrie had served time for child neglect