Australian Religious Sect Members Sentenced for Death of 8-Year-Old Elizabeth Struhs
Fourteen members of a small Christian sect, including the parents of Elizabeth Struhs, received lengthy prison sentences for withholding her insulin and rejecting medical care, leading to her death in 2022.
- Elizabeth Struhs, an 8-year-old with Type 1 diabetes, died in 2022 after her parents, under the influence of a sect called 'The Saints,' withheld her insulin for days, believing God would heal her.
- Her parents, Jason and Kerrie Struhs, along with 12 other sect members, were convicted of manslaughter; the parents received at least 14-year sentences, while sect leader Brendan Stevens was sentenced to 13 years.
- The sect, led by Stevens, rejected modern medicine and pressured Jason Struhs to stop Elizabeth's treatment, viewing it as a test of faith despite her deteriorating condition.
- Elizabeth's older sister, Jayde Struhs, who left the sect as a teenager, has criticized both the sect’s practices and systemic failures by Queensland authorities to protect her sister after prior warnings.
- A coronial inquiry into Elizabeth’s death is planned, and experts warn that sects like 'The Saints' can perpetuate harmful ideologies even after leaders are imprisoned.
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