A 8-year-old diabetic girl died just shy of her ninth birthday following her parents’ refusal to administer life-saving insulin. A court found them not guilty of murder but manslaughter, citing insufficient evidence that their actions would likely lead to her death.
The girl’s father, Jason Struhs, and the sect’s leader, Brendan Stevens, faced charges of murder after it was revealed that they stopped providing insulin on the night before her death. However, the court ruled that there wasn’t enough evidence to prove they knew discontinuing the medication would likely result in her death, believing instead it was God’s will for her to recover.
Elizabeth Rose Struhs, who weighed about 60 pounds at death, died after her father stopped administering insulin needed for her Type 1 diabetes. Church members reportedly prayed and sang instead of seeking medical help, despite the girl’s weakening condition.
Mr. Struhs, a baker and father of seven other children, claimed religious persecution was to blame for his daughter’s illness and death. Some church members referred to themselves as “the Saints” and emphasized their belief in God’s healing power over medical care.
All 14 defendants, including some who reportedly considered medicine witchcraft, refused legal representation and chose to defend themselves. Mr. Struhs maintained during the trial that he believed his daughter could be resurrected by God.
In a previous incident in 2019, Ms. Struhs was hospitalized and nearly died after her father failed to provide proper care for her medical needs. She received an 18-month prison sentence, while Mr. Struhs received a suspended sentence after providing evidence against his wife.
However, in 2021, Mr. Struhs joined the church despite previously being wary of it. Other members, including his son Zachary, allegedly encouraged him to stop insulin for his daughter. Church members continued to pray and sing hymns for nearly 36 hours before Mr. Struhs called authorities.
Mr. Struhs told police during his first conversation with law enforcement: “Can’t believe in God and trust in man as well. So you’ve got to make a choice.”
Justice Martin Burns, who delivered the judgment, noted that in the cloistered atmosphere of the church, Mr. Struhs could have been so consumed by their beliefs that he never realized his daughter would probably die, believing instead that God would not allow that to happen.
Elizabeth was a bright and active girl who loved pranks, according to her oldest sister, Jayde Struhs, who left the family years before her sister’s death due to clashes over her sexual orientation.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/29/world/australia/struhs-sect-conviction-insulin.html