Police officer tells Struhs inquest that child safety staff could not be swayed

Witness says department had made up its mind to send Elizabeth home in 2019 despite hospital doctors' warnings

By LineZotpaper

Published13 October 2026

Read Time3 min

A police officer has told a coronial inquest that Queensland child safety staff were determined to send Elizabeth Struhs home to her parents in 2019 despite concerns raised by hospital doctors, and that their decision could not be changed once made. Elizabeth, then aged six, died at home in Toowoomba on 7 January 2022 after her parents, members of a religious sect known as the Saints, withdrew the insulin she needed for type 1 diabetes.

The inquest, before coroner Ainslie Kirkegaard, heard that child safety staff decided in 2019 that it would be "more detrimental" to not return Elizabeth to her Toowoomba home upon her discharge from hospital, where she had been treated for a coma caused by diabetic ketoacidosis.

On Monday, senior doctors from the Queensland children's hospital gave evidence that they had repeatedly raised the alarm after Elizabeth was hospitalised. The court heard doctors warned that her mother, Kerrie Struhs, might "sabotage" her long-term treatment, which requires multiple daily insulin injections, if they lived together.

Kerrie Struhs told authorities at the time that she did not believe in medicine and had discouraged Elizabeth's father, Jason Struhs, from seeking medical assistance, telling him instead to trust in prayer.

The decision to return Elizabeth home was made at a meeting of the suspected child abuse and neglect team, led by child safety officers and involving specialist police and health staff. Jason was deemed able to provide treatment such as insulin injections. According to meeting minutes, a child safety officer said: "The Queensland children's hospital is not agreeing with our assessment and have been very vocal about it. I feel that removing her would be more detrimental and we currently have the father stepping up."

On Tuesday, a police officer who attended the meeting and served as a child safety liaison for 10 years told the court: "I learned early on ... you couldn't change child safety's mind once they had made their decision." He said the attitude was "across the board" and that officers had to respect the department's structured decision-making tools, describing the approach as "professional courtesy".

All 14 adult members of the Saints were convicted of Elizabeth's manslaughter last year, including Jason and Kerrie Struhs. Both parents were also convicted of failing to provide the necessaries of life in relation to the 2019 incident, and Kerrie was jailed. The inquest heard Jason was initially willing to provide insulin to Elizabeth, against the wishes of his wife.

Analysis

Why This Matters

The inquest is examining whether Queensland's child protection system failed a child whose parents rejected medical treatment, a question with implications beyond this single case.
Evidence that doctors' warnings were overridden raises concerns about how agencies weigh clinical advice against keeping families together.
The coroner's findings could influence how suspected child abuse and neglect teams handle cases involving medical neglect.

Background

Elizabeth Struhs died at home on 7 January 2022 after her parents withdrew the insulin she needed for type 1 diabetes. Her parents belonged to the Saints, a religious sect that did not believe in medicine and expected Elizabeth to be miraculously healed or raised from the dead. All 14 adult members of the sect were convicted of her manslaughter. The inquest is now examining decisions made years earlier, including the 2019 meeting at which child safety officers decided to return Elizabeth home after her hospitalisation.

Key Perspectives

Child safety officers: Documentation from the 2019 meeting shows they believed removing Elizabeth would be "more detrimental" than returning her home, and that her father was "stepping up" to provide treatment. Hospital doctors: Senior doctors at the Queensland children's hospital repeatedly raised the alarm, warning that Elizabeth's mother might sabotage her long-term treatment and publicly disagreeing with the department's assessment. Police officer witness: A 10-year child safety liaison told the inquest that child safety's mind could not be changed once a decision was made, describing a department-wide attitude structured around its own decision-making tools.

What to Watch

Further witness testimony and documents as the inquest continues.
The coroner's findings and whether they include recommendations for handling cases where parents refuse medical care.
Any response from Queensland authorities to the evidence heard, including possible reviews of child safety decision-making.

Sources

Child safety staff determined to send Elizabeth Struhs home with parents despite doctors’ concerns, inquest hears — World news | The Guardian