A Queensland court in Australia has found 14 members of an Australian religious group guilty of manslaughter in the death of an eight-year-old girl whose parents withheld her insulin medication.
Elizabeth Rose Struhs died on 7 January 2022 at her home in Toowoomba after going six days without treatment for type-1 diabetes.
Her parents, Jason Richard Struhs, 53, and Kerrie Elizabeth Struhs, 49, along with 12 fellow members of their religious congregation known as “The Saints,” were convicted on Wednesday.
Queensland Supreme Court, Justice Martin Burns, found Jason Struhs and the group’s leader, Brendan Luke Stevens, 63, guilty of manslaughter, despite both facing initial charges of murder. Burns also convicted the remaining 12 members, including Elizabeth’s brother, Zachary Alan Struhs, 22.
All 14 were remanded in custody and are set to be sentenced on 11 February. Each faces a potential maximum sentence of life in prison.
Outside the court, the victim’s adult sister, Jayde Struhs, welcomed the verdicts but criticised authorities for failing to intervene sooner.
“Although we had a good outcome today, I have to acknowledge the system failed to protect Elizabeth in the first place,” she said.
“We are only here today because more wasn’t done sooner to protect her or remove her from a credibly unsafe situation in her own home,” she added.
In ruling out a murder conviction, Burns stated that the prosecution had not proven the father or Stevens displayed reckless indifference to life.
“There remained a reasonable possibility that, in the cloistered atmosphere of the church which enveloped Struhs … that he (the father) never came to the full realization Elizabeth would probably die,” the judge said.
However, Burns found the victim’s parents had committed an “egregious departure from the standard of care,” with the other defendants providing support and encouragement.
During the trial, Stevens argued on behalf of all defendants that they believed God would heal the child. Each of the accused represented themselves in court and spoke individually during closing statements.
Before adjourning, Burns urged all defendants to seek legal representation ahead of sentencing.
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