Doctor warned Elizabeth Struhs would not be safe at home years before religious sect killed her by withdrawing medicine
A coronial inquest has begun into the death of eight-year-old Elizabeth Struhs, who died from diabetic ketoacidosis after her parents and members of a religious sect withheld her insulin. The inquiry revealed that medical professionals had warned years earlier that the child was not safe in her home environment.
Why it matters
The case highlights the intersection of religious extremism, child protection failures, and the legal consequences of medical neglect.
Elizabeth Struhs died from diabetic ketoacidosis in 2022 after her parents and other members of a Toowoomba sect withdrew the insulin she needed to survive. Photograph: BBC Elizabeth Struhs died from diabetic ketoacidosis in 2022 after her parents and other members of a Toowoomba sect withdrew the insulin she needed to survive. Photograph: BBC Queensland Doctor warned Elizabeth Struhs would not be safe at home years before religious sect killed her by withdrawing medicine Coronial inquest begins into death of eight-year-old after 14 members of Toowoomba sect the Saints, including her parents, were found guilty of her manslaughter
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