On a fateful day in January 2022, tragedy struck the Struhs family in Toowoomba, Queensland, when eight-year-old Elizabeth Rose Struhs lost her life after being deprived of essential insulin shots intended to manage her type-1 diabetes. For six agonizing days, Elizabeth suffered at home, resting on a mattress as her health drastically deteriorated. In a troubling intersection of faith and medical negligence, the congregation to which her family belonged—a small and independent religious group known as “The Saints”—opted for prayer over medical intervention.
- Two parents and 12 others guilty of manslaughter
- 8-year-old girl died from missed insulin shots
- Religious group believed in divine healing power
- Judge cited "egregious departure from care"
- Sentencing scheduled for February 11, 2025
- Congregation lacks affiliation with established churches
On Wednesday, January 29, 2025, a jury found Elizabeth’s father, Jason Richard Struhs, 53, and Brendan Luke Stevens, the congregation’s leader aged 63, guilty of manslaughter. Initially charged with the more grave offense of murder, the evidence presented in the Queensland Supreme Court did not establish that they had acted with the reckless indifference required for a murder conviction. Justice Martin Burns stated, “There remained a reasonable possibility that, in the cloistered atmosphere of the church, [the father] never came to the full realization Elizabeth would probably die.”
The heart-wrenching circumstances surrounding Elizabeth’s death paint a grim picture. As she lay without her necessary insulin, her parents, along with 12 other congregation members—including her mother, Kerrie Elizabeth Struhs, and her brother, Zachary Alan Struhs—engaged in fervent prayers and rituals instead of seeking the medical care that might have saved her life. Each member of the group now faces potential life sentences for their roles in this preventable tragedy.
Surrounded by disappointment but also a sense of justice, Elizabeth’s adult sister, Jayde Struhs, expressed her mixed feelings outside the courtroom. “Although we had a good outcome today, I have to acknowledge the system failed to protect Elizabeth in the first place,” she said, further voicing her frustration about the broader failures that allowed such an “unsafe situation” to persist in the family’s home.
Justice Burns found that while the parents may not have intended to cause harm, their actions represented an extreme deviation from the standard of care, influenced heavily by their beliefs in divine healing. “It cannot be doubted that Elizabeth was lovingly cared for in almost every way,” he remarked. “However, due to a singular belief in the healing power of God… she was deprived of the one thing that would most definitely have kept her alive.”
The legal proceedings leading up to the verdict revealed a cautionary tale about the interplay of faith and responsibility. Stevens, speaking on behalf of the defendants during the opening statements, maintained that they believed God would heal Elizabeth. As the trial progressed, it became clear that despite the faith-based convictions held by the congregation, their negligence had deadly consequences.
The Saints, considered a fringe group, are not aligned with any mainstream religious body and consist of approximately two dozen members from a small number of families. Religious studies experts have observed that such independent groups often form around intimate family structures, making the dynamics within them difficult to scrutinize.
As the defendants prepare for their February sentencing, the case continues to resonate within the broader conversation about parental responsibility, religious beliefs, and the welfare of children. Authorities and experts alike are urging families to reconcile their faith with the importance of seeking medical care, especially in life-threatening situations. This heartbreaking event serves as a tragedy that could prompt a reevaluation of how faith practices intersect with parental obligations to protect their children.
The aftermath of this case illuminates a grim reality—a chilling reminder of the potential dangers lurking when belief supersedes the fundamental needs of a child’s health. As the world awaits the next legislative and judicial developments, the fate of Elizabeth Rose Struhs stands as a poignant reminder of lives lost when faith and reason collide.
