Coroner begins hearing from witnesses in Elizabeth Struhs inquest

Queensland coroner has commenced an inquest into the death of eight-year-old Elizabeth Struhs, who passed away in 2022 after her parents withheld her insulin injections due to their extreme religious beliefs. The inquest will examine whether more could have been done to protect Elizabeth by state authorities. Elizabeth's demise was a result of diabetic ketoacidosis, following her father's decision to stop her insulin injections in January 2022.

Elizabeth belonged to a fringe home-based church, and her parents, Kerrie and Jason Struhs, were initially charged with her murder but later convicted of her manslaughter. The inquest, held in Brisbane, will explore the family's interactions with various government departments prior to Elizabeth's passing. Coroner Ainslie Kirkegaard welcomed Jayde Struhs, who had been estranged from her family at the time of her sister's death, and expressed her sympathy for the family's immense grief and the intense public scrutiny.

Kirkegaard emphasized the inquest's importance in exploring whether Elizabeth could have been better protected and welcomed her family's contribution through a statement.

Thirty witnesses are scheduled to provide evidence over the course of two weeks, mainly consisting of representatives from departments that had contact with the family. All witnesses, except one, have had their identities legally suppressed by the coroner. The first witness to testify was a child safety representative who reported concerns about Kerrie Struhs' involvement in an extreme, Bible-based religion and the isolation and restriction of the children in 2013.

The report was classified as a Child Concern Report, as there was no suspicion that the child had been harmed or was at risk. The witness acknowledged that such a report might have seemed unusual today but stated that it did not meet the criteria to escalate to a Child Safety Notification due to the lack of evidence of harm.