14 Convicted in Australian Child Murder Case
A Queensland court has convicted 14 members of an Australian religious group for manslaughter in connection with the death of 8-year-old Elizabeth Rose Struhs. The girl died on January 7, 2022, in Toowoomba after going six days without insulin treatment for her type-1 diabetes.
Elizabeth’s parents, Jason Richard Struhs, 53, and Kerrie Elizabeth Struhs, 49, along with 12 other members of their religious community, “The Saints,” were found guilty on Wednesday. Queensland Supreme Court Justice Martin Burns convicted Jason Struhs and the group’s leader, Brendan Luke Stevens, 63, of manslaughter, even though they had initially faced murder charges. The other 12 members, including Elizabeth’s 22-year-old brother, Zachary Alan Struhs, were also convicted.
The 14 defendants were remanded in custody and will be sentenced on February 11, with each facing the possibility of life imprisonment.
Outside the courtroom, Elizabeth’s adult sister, Jayde Struhs, expressed mixed feelings. While she welcomed the conviction, she criticised authorities for not intervening 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.”
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In his ruling, Justice Burns explained that while the prosecution had not proved the father or Stevens showed reckless indifference to life, the parents’ actions still represented an “egregious departure from the standard of care.” Burns noted that there was a “reasonable possibility” that Jason Struhs did not fully understand the likely fatal consequences of withholding medical treatment, given the insular nature of the church community.
During the trial, Stevens defended the group’s actions, claiming they believed God would heal Elizabeth. All 14 defendants chose to represent themselves in court and provided individual closing statements. Justice Burns also urged them to seek legal counsel ahead of their upcoming sentencing.
Content Credit| Agbetan Bisola
Picture Credit | https://www.abc.net.au/
