Coroner Probes Elizabeth Struhs Death and Child Safety Response

A Queensland coroner has begun examining whether government agencies could have better protected eight-year-old Elizabeth Struhs before she died in Toowoomba on January 7, 2022, after her parents and members of a religious group stopped the insulin treatment required for her type 1 diabetes.

The Brisbane inquest is investigating contacts between the Struhs family and child safety, health, police, education and corrective services agencies. According to ABC, 30 witnesses are expected to provide evidence during the two-week hearing.

Elizabeth died from diabetic ketoacidosis after her insulin was withdrawn. Her parents Kerrie and Jason Struhs and 12 other members of the Saints group were convicted of manslaughter in 2025, according to reports from the Sydney Morning Herald and Brisbane Times.

Evidence presented at the inquest showed child safety authorities were first alerted in 2013 after Elizabeth's older sister Jayde raised concerns about the family's religious beliefs and restrictions. A department witness said the report did not meet the threshold for further investigation at that time.

Medical staff later raised stronger concerns after Elizabeth became critically ill in 2019 and was hospitalized. Doctors told the inquest they believed she could not safely remain in a home where her mother rejected insulin treatment.

One pediatric specialist described feeling blocked while seeking action from child safety authorities after the 2019 hospital admission.

"I felt I was expressing my concerns, but I actually felt stonewalled by it," the doctor told the inquest.

The doctor said Elizabeth's father had initially agreed to provide insulin after taking her to hospital in 2019, allowing her to return home under an intervention parental agreement. The arrangement was later questioned during the hearing.

Another doctor warned that Elizabeth's care plan placed responsibility on the child rather than adults responsible for her treatment.

"Putting the onus on Elizabeth is not an appropriate thing to do for a six-year-old child in this environment," the doctor told the inquest.

Coroner Ainslie Kirkegaard said the hearing would consider whether Elizabeth could have been better protected and acknowledged the impact on her sister Jayde Struhs.

"However, this is an opportunity to identify how we could have better protected Elizabeth," Coroner Ainslie Kirkegaard said.

The inquest will continue hearing evidence from representatives of Queensland government agencies and other witnesses involved in the family's history.