A Queensland cult family has been convicted of manslaughter over the death of an eight-year-old girl who died from diabetes due to their refusal to provide her with insulin. The group, led by spiritual leader Brendan Stevens, believed in the healing power of God and considered normal medicine as “witchcraft”.
The 14 family members, including the parents of the deceased girl, Elizabeth Struhs, have been found guilty after a six-day decline in her health. Justice Martic Burns stated that the group’s refusal to provide medical care, specifically insulin, made Elizabeth’s death inevitable.
Elizabeth was diagnosed with type-1 diabetes in 2019 but became severely unwell with diabetic ketoacidosis in November 2021. Her parents and fellow group members believed God would heal her instead of providing lifesaving insulin.
The court heard that the group considered normal medicine to be “witchcraft” and refused to give Elizabeth insulin, despite her deteriorating condition. The spiritual leader repeatedly assured the family that “God shall prevail”.
It was only 36 hours after Elizabeth’s death that Jason Struhs called an ambulance, explaining that God would still raise his daughter but they could not leave a corpse in the house. The group was found guilty of manslaughter due to their refusal to provide medical care and considering it as “witchcraft”.
The verdict is a significant relief to Elizabeth’s sister, Jayde Struhs, who stated that she was “relieved” that the group had been found guilty. All 14 members will be sentenced on February 11.
Source: https://www.the-sun.com/news/13419280/girl-death-cult-family-australia