Elizabeth Struhs’ child protection case not ‘prioritised’ due to high workload, inquest hears

A Queensland coroner's inquest revealed that eight-year-old Elizabeth Struhs, who died in 2022 due to diabetic ketoacidosis after her parents stopped giving her insulin, was not prioritized in the child protection system due to her case worker's heavy workload. The assigned case worker claimed she was "very busy" and may have been "overly influenced" by the Struhs' affluent home, potentially leading to other cases deemed more immediate risks taking precedence.

Despite being a long-term skeptic of her husband's religious beliefs, the father, Jason Struhs, converted to their sect in 2021 and agreed to treat Elizabeth against his wife's wishes. The child safety officer assigned to Elizabeth's case only made infrequent visits, contrary to departmental guidelines, and released Elizabeth back to her parents' care despite objections from specialist doctors.

The case worker also expressed a personal bias, as her own child nearly died from type 1 diabetes at age 6. The case worker's colleagues acknowledged the Toowoomba region was among the busiest for child safety, with many cases involving significant domestic violence, drug use, and sexual abuse. The inquest heard that the intervention was expected to last months or a year, but it was only meant to be three months due to the intensive approach.

The coroner inquired if there was organizational pressure to finalize cases quickly, to which a witness responded affirmatively. The 14 adult members of the Saints sect, which Elizabeth's mother belonged to, were convicted of her manslaughter last year.