‘Great pain’ not enough to require help for dying girl

A woman accused of killing an eight-year-old by withholding her medication would not have called an ambulance even if the girl was in obvious pain, a judge has heard.

Loretta Mary Stevens, 67, refused to enter a plea in the Brisbane Supreme Court to the manslaughter of eight-year-old Elizabeth Rose Struhs on January 7, 2022.

Elizabeth died lying on a mattress on the floor of her family’s home in Toowoomba, west of Brisbane, after days without insulin for her type-1 diabetes left her suffering from vomiting, unquenchable thirst and unconsciousness.

Justice Martin Burns previously heard Stevens was the oldest member of a small church congregation known as “the Saints” who allegedly attended the Struhs home while Elizabeth fell into a coma and died.

Stevens told police she would have “felt for her a lot more and prayed” if Elizabeth had been “writhing in pain”.

“We truly believe God blessed her with a peaceful passing,” she said.

Police footage of the Toowoomba home after members of the congregation were arrested.Credit: Queensland Police Service

A video of Stevens’ interview with police on July 5, 2022, was played to Burns on Thursday as part of the judge-only trial’s seventh week of hearings.

Stevens repeatedly said it was the group’s belief to “trust in God’s healing” instead of having Elizabeth continue to take insulin.

“If it was apparent to you that Elizabeth was in great pain ... would you have gotten her medical attention?” a detective asked.

“No ... perhaps a heat pack, natural things like that, if the pain was in her tummy or something,” Stevens said.

Her husband Brendan Luke Stevens, 62, described by witnesses as the leader of the Saints, is charged with murder over Elizabeth’s death.

Elizabeth’s father Jason Richard Struhs, 52, is also charged with murder while her mother Kerrie Elizabeth Struhs, 49, is charged with manslaughter.

Another 10 members of the Saints are charged with manslaughter, with all defendants refusing to enter pleas and having represented themselves at trial.

Loretta Stevens denied having prior knowledge that Elizabeth would die without insulin despite attending court earlier in 2022 when Jason and Kerrie Struhs were convicted over a separate incident of failing to seek treatment for the girl’s diabetes.

“What did you feel when you realised Elizabeth had died?” a detective asked.

“Astonishment ... the Lord has taken it to the next level now,” Stevens said.

She was shown a statement from Jason Struhs in which he said he wanted to continue giving Elizabeth insulin rather than “spending another two years in hell like I just went through”.

Stevens said there was “no pressure” on Jason from the church group to stop the medication.

“He was never told ‘do this or you’re out’,” she said.

Stevens told detectives it was “disgusting” to be accused of killing Elizabeth and God had allowed her to die so he could later demonstrate his powers of resurrection.

“I stand with my God ... it will be revealed one day,” she said.

AAP