‘She didn’t have to die’: Girl’s death in a Queensland cult
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The harrowing case of Elizabeth Struhs has left child safety experts baffled, and in agreement that her death was avoidable, with allegations government failures are as much to blame as the 14 cult members now in jail.
Elizabeth, 8, died in January 2022, after her diabetes medication was withheld by her parents and their cult-like religious group “the Saints”.
In a new podcast probing the case – The Saints, from 9Podcasts – one legal expert calls for the introduction of a manslaughter-type offence that would apply to government departments whose failures lead to a death.
Elizabeth was left in the care of her parents after they had both previously been charged over an incident that left her hospitalised in a diabetic coma.
The Child Safety Department launched an investigation in July 2019, but the case was closed six months later and never re-opened.
“This particular matter didn’t have to happen,” said Dr Kathy Reeves, a senior law lecturer at the University of Southern Queensland.
“She didn’t have to die.”
Content retrieved from: https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/she-didn-t-have-to-die-girl-s-death-in-a-queensland-cult-20250407-p5lpqd.html.
