Trial Told Dying Girl Offered Prayer Not Medicine

Fourteen people have been charged for allegedly denying a diabetic girl insulin due to their religious beliefs.

Members of an Australian religious group are on trial for causing the death of an eight-year-old diabetic girl, Elizabeth Struhs, by denying her medical care and offering prayers instead. Elizabeth was found dead in January 2022 in Toowoomba, about 125km west of Brisbane, after allegedly not receiving insulin for several days.

Prosecutors say the sect rejected medicine, trusting God to heal the child. These extreme beliefs had previously almost ended Elizabeth’s life three years earlier. Fourteen defendants, including Elizabeth's parents, have refused lawyers and entered no pleas, which the court considers as not guilty.

Jason Struhs, 52, Elizabeth’s father, and Brendan Stevens, 62, the group’s leader, face murder charges, with prosecutors arguing they knew their actions would likely kill Elizabeth. Kerrie Struhs, 49, Elizabeth's mother, her brother Zachary Struhs, 21, and ten others, aged 22 to 67, are charged with manslaughter.

The trial began at the Queensland Supreme Court on Wednesday, with defendants filing into a modified courtroom. Due to the case's complexity and notoriety, a judge alone, not a jury, will hear the trial, expected to last about three months.

Prosecutor Caroline Marco described Elizabeth as a "bright, spiritual child" who was too young to grasp the serious consequences of her parents' actions. Marco alleged that in early January 2022, Elizabeth’s parents reduced and then stopped her insulin, gathering the sect to pray despite Elizabeth’s visible health decline. No effort was made to seek medical help, leading to Elizabeth’s death after days of suffering.

The court found out that Kerrie Struhs had been released from prison a few weeks before, following a 2019 conviction for not giving insulin to Elizabeth.

That incident led to a month-long hospital stay for Elizabeth. Jason Struhs had joined the sect while his wife was imprisoned, abandoning his previous beliefs.

Over 60 witnesses, including an estranged daughter of the Struhs, will testify. Prosecutors will continue presenting their case on Thursday, with the defendants later addressing the court. Justice Martin Burn emphasized ensuring a fair trial for the defendants, despite their refusal of legal representation.