Child safety 'misunderstood' cult before girl's death

A child safety officer who returned an eight-year-old girl to a cult that tragically killed her has admitted feeling overwhelmed by the family's extreme beliefs, a coroner heard. Elizabeth Rose Struhs passed away on January 7, 2022, after her parents agreed to stop providing insulin for her type-1 diabetes, leading to her death by ketoacidosis.

This decision came two-and-a-half years after a near-death incident when her mother did not seek treatment for her. A Queensland Department of Child Safety officer testified that she did not fully grasp the influence of the church's beliefs during the time when the girl was sent back home. The officer, like most witnesses, could not be named for legal reasons.

The officer admitted that they were "out of their depth" when it came to understanding the family's religious beliefs. Child Safety had no formal training or procedures for tracking cases, and there was no specific process to hand over cases to incoming staff. The inquest is expected to continue until October 23.