The Queensland premier, David Crisafulli, pledges to take necessary action to improve government systems after eight-year-old’s death in 2022
An inquest will be held after an eight-year-old girl died when religious group members, including her parents, withheld her medication.
Two days after 14 members of “the Saints” were found guilty of manslaughter, the Queensland government confirmed the inquest into Elizabeth Struhs’ death.
She died in January 2022 at her family’s home west of Brisbane after enduring six days without her prescribed insulin shots for type 1 diabetes.
Months after a lengthy judge-only trial, Elizabeth’s father, Jason Struhs, and the Saints leader, Brendan Stevens, were acquitted of murder but found guilty of manslaughter on Wednesday.
Another 12 Saints members – including Elizabeth’s mother, Kerrie, and brother Zachary – faced the same Brisbane supreme court trial charged with manslaughter and were found guilty.
Premier David Crisafulli on Friday confirmed an inquest would be held, having vowed to take any necessary action to improve state government systems after Elizabeth’s death.
“Let’s let the whole process play out,” he told reporters on Friday.
“But I make the commitment to Queenslanders that through tragedy like this, if system reform comes from it and we can better protect kids in the future, you bet that’ll happen.”
Elizabeth’s sister Jayde Struhs attended the midweek verdicts and claimed authorities had failed to intervene, leaving her sibling in an “incredibly unsafe situation”.
“Although we had a good outcome today, I have to acknowledge the system failed to protect Elizabeth in the first place,” she said outside court.
The lengthy trial was told The Saints dismissed all human-made medicine and dental care as “witchcraft”.
The judge heard Elizabeth’s parents were previously convicted of failing to provide the necessities of life to their daughter in 2019.
Elizabeth – then aged six – nearly died of prolonged and extreme symptoms from type 1 diabetes which was undiagnosed at the time.
Her mother was jailed in July 2021 and on parole in early 2022 when Elizabeth died as Saints members let the girl die slowly over days, holding a vigil and praying as she slipped in and out of consciousness.
Child safety minister Amanda Camm said Elizabeth’s death was a “tragedy”.
“She was a beautiful, innocent girl taken too soon,” she said in a statement.
“Today I can announce there will be a coronial inquest into her death.
“I welcome this progress and the findings and recommendations that can help fix the broken child-safety system we inherited from the former Labor government.”
Non-profit organisation Act For Kids acknowledged the “incredibly challenging” situations faced by child safety officers, law enforcement, legal and medical practitioners but welcomed the inquest.
“No child should ever have to experience the pain this little girl endured,” it said.
The 14 religious group members will be sentenced on 11 February.
