Inquest Examines Handling of Child Protection Case Leading to Queensland Girl's Death

A Queensland coroners court in Brisbane has received evidence regarding the systemic failures and religious beliefs surrounding the death of eight-year-old Elizabeth Struhs, who died in 2022 after being refused insulin. According to The Guardian, testimony showed her child protection file was not treated as a priority because the assigned staff member faced heavy workloads. The court heard the caseworker might have been swayed by the appearance of the family's higher-income household, which led to other situations being deemed more urgent.^10,14

ABC News reported that child safety personnel were stunned when the child's father, Jason Struhs, joined a religious sect prior to her death, noting he had successfully managed her medical care for over two years without external oversight. The broadcaster also noted that the mother, Kerrie Struhs, had communicated her belief to a probation official less than a month before the fatality that divine intervention would cure her daughter.^8,13

The inquest also heard from corrective services staff, as reported by The Guardian. An officer evaluated Kerrie Struhs three weeks prior to the child's death and determined she posed no immediate danger to anyone. However, that official lacked access to her prior record, which included a five-month prison sentence for child neglect after previously failing to seek emergency medical treatment for Elizabeth.¹⁴