Coroner hears doctors treating Elizabeth Struhs recommended involuntary mental health assessment of mother
Doctors raised concerns
The coroner heard that doctors were concerned about Kerrie Struhs’s religious beliefs and her conviction that Elizabeth would recover from type 1 diabetes through divine healing. A doctor said an involuntary assessment was considered, and child safety could arrange one.
Court records from 2019 described Kerrie saying her daughter would be healed and that she had to trust God. The court also heard she objected to Jason driving Elizabeth to hospital, despite the child’s serious condition.
Hospitalisation and return home
Elizabeth came to the attention of child safety in 2019, after being admitted to hospital on 17 July with late-stage diabetic ketoacidosis. The condition can be fatal for people with type 1 diabetes who do not receive insulin; Elizabeth was in a coma and nearly died.
Child safety officers later returned Elizabeth to her home under her father’s care in August. A document presented in court set out what the department expected of her parents, including Jason’s commitment to provide insulin.
Insulin stopped before death
Jason provided insulin for two years, but joined Kerrie’s religious sect in 2021 after previously doubting her beliefs. Other members of the group, known as the Saints, later persuaded him to stop giving Elizabeth insulin.
Elizabeth died on 7 January 2022 at the family home in Rangeville, Toowoomba. The inquest is examining the circumstances surrounding her death and her parents’ beliefs about medical treatment.
Key points
- Doctors recommended an involuntary mental health assessment of Kerrie Struhs, the coroner heard.
- Elizabeth was hospitalised in 2019 with severe diabetic ketoacidosis and nearly died.
- Her father provided insulin for two years before stopping after joining the Saints.
- Elizabeth died at home in Rangeville, Toowoomba, on 7 January 2022.