Elizabeth Struhs: child safety officer's 'safe' assessment was wrong, inquest hears

Why This Matters

• The inquest is examining how a child with a serious medical condition was returned to parents who did not provide her with insulin, leading to her death.
• The admission that an initial safety assessment was incorrect raises questions about how Queensland child safety officers make decisions under pressure.
• The coroner's findings could lead to recommendations for changes to safety assessment practices.

Background

Elizabeth Struhs died on 7 January 2022, aged eight, at her family home in Toowoomba. Her parents and members of their small religious sect prayed for healing or resurrection rather than seeking medical care. She had type 1 diabetes. Elizabeth had been hospitalised in a coma in July 2019, and child safety officers decided to return her to her parents' care. The current coronial inquest is examining those decisions. Witnesses are being anonymised for legal reasons.

Key Perspectives

Child safety officer who completed the assessment: Recorded Elizabeth as "safe" one day after her hospital admission, a decision now described by a colleague as incorrect given the lack of information available at the time. Colleague and case worker: Told the court that the assessment should have been "unsafe". This officer later became Elizabeth's case worker and was involved in the decision to return her home. The coroner's court: Hearing evidence about the circumstances of Elizabeth's death and the actions of child safety officers, with the case described as complex.

What to Watch

• Further evidence at the inquest from child safety officers and other witnesses with knowledge of the family's case.
• The coroner's findings and any recommendations directed at Queensland's child safety system.
• Whether the inquest probes how the family was monitored after Elizabeth was returned home in 2019.