Elizabeth Struhs child safety case 'not prioritised' because officer was busy, inquest hears

The inquest into Elizabeth's death heard on Friday that the single child safety officer responsible for her case had a caseload of approximately 25 to 28 children across 15 families at the time, with the same intervention program in place for all of them.

In a statement read to the court, the officer said she hoped to visit the family at least once a week, as departmental guidelines required, but was not always able to.

"I recall this being a very busy time for the CSSC and I also recall being regularly out of the office travelling to visit other families," the statement said. One home visit to the Struhs family was conducted by a student working in the team.

The officer acknowledged Elizabeth's case was not treated as a complex case, despite the nature of the intervention. Counsel assisting the coroner, Simon Hamlyn-Harris, suggested she may have been "overly influenced" by the presentation of the family's "upper class home," and that cases involving domestic violence, drug use and sexual abuse were put ahead of Elizabeth's.

Child safety ended its involvement with the family after just 17 weeks of what was supposed to be an intensive intervention, assessing Elizabeth as "safe." The department released her back into the sole care of her father, Jason Struhs, over the objections of specialist doctors who had treated her in Brisbane.

Elizabeth died on 7 January 2022 of diabetic ketoacidosis. Her father had joined the religious sect that rejected medicine in 2021, after years of scepticism about his wife's beliefs. The inquest previously heard that Elizabeth first came to child safety's attention in 2019, when she presented to hospital in a coma.

The coroner, Ainslie Kirkegaard, has also heard that the Toowoomba region was among the busiest in the state for child safety. The inquest continues.

Analysis

Why This Matters

The inquest is examining whether systemic pressures inside Queensland's child safety system contributed to the death of a child who was already known to authorities.
The case raises questions about how risk is assessed, and whether a family's presentation can overshadow clinical warnings from doctors.
The coroner's findings could lead to recommendations on caseloads, training and the handling of complex cases in regional Queensland.

Background

Elizabeth Struhs was eight years old when she died of diabetic ketoacidosis in January 2022. Her father, Jason Struhs, had stopped providing insulin after joining an extreme Christian sect that denied the use of medicine. She came to the attention of child safety in 2019, when she presented to hospital in a coma. The department ended its intensive intervention after 17 weeks, assessing her as safe, over the objections of specialist doctors. The inquest is examining the decisions made before her death, including why the case was not prioritised.

Key Perspectives

The child safety officer: Told the court she had a heavy caseload, was regularly out of the office visiting other families, and could not always make the weekly home visits required by guidelines. She also acknowledged the case should have been treated as complex.

Counsel assisting the coroner: Suggested the officer may have been "overly influenced" by the family's "upper class home," and that she prioritised cases with more immediate risks such as domestic violence, drug use and sexual abuse.

Doctors who treated Elizabeth: Opposed her release back into her father's sole care, and had recommended an involuntary mental health assessment of her mother, the inquest previously heard.

What to Watch

Further evidence from senior child safety staff about workloads in the Toowoomba region.
The coroner's findings and any recommendations for Queensland's child protection system.
Whether the actions of the individual officer or the department are referred for further professional scrutiny.

Analysis

Why This Matters

Background

Key Perspectives

What to Watch

Sources