A Queensland coroner has begun an inquest into the death of eight-year-old Elizabeth Struhs, examining whether she could have been “better protected”, the ABC reported.
The inquest opened in Brisbane on Monday. On its first day it heard evidence about a doctor’s concerns for Elizabeth’s safety, raised years before she died, and about how an earlier report on the family had been handled by child safety.
Elizabeth’s Death
Elizabeth died of diabetic ketoacidosis on 7 January 2022 at the family home in Toowoomba, after her insulin was withdrawn, The Guardian reported. According to the ABC, the injections were stopped by her father in January 2022.
Members of her home-based church, including her parents, were originally charged with murder, the ABC reported. They were convicted of manslaughter by a judge last year. The Guardian puts the number of people convicted at 14.
The Coroner’s Opening
Coroner Ainslie Kirkegaard opened the inquest by welcoming Jayde Struhs, Elizabeth’s sister, who was estranged from the family when Elizabeth died, the ABC reported.
“I want to acknowledge the devastating loss made so much harder by the intense public scrutiny and commentary following Elizabeth’s death,” the coroner said to Ms Struhs, according to the ABC.
Kirkegaard also said: “I’m sorry that the job that I have to do reignites this.”
A Report From 2013
A child safety witness gave evidence about a report made in 2013 that raised concerns about Kerrie Struhs’s religion, the ABC reported. The report was recorded as a Child Concern Report, which is a lower-level response.
The witness said that report would still not meet the threshold today, according to the ABC.
The Hospital Admission in 2019
In 2019 Elizabeth was critically ill in hospital. Her father had taken her there against her mother’s wishes, the ABC reported. The Guardian dates her admission to the intensive care unit of the Queensland Children’s Hospital to 17 July 2019.
A hospital doctor wrote a nine-page report raising concerns about her safety, and it went to child safety and police, The Guardian reported. The doctor cannot be identified for legal reasons.
“My concerns were so strong that if [a colleague] said not to, I was still planning to submit a report,” a hospital staff member said in evidence, according to the ABC.
The inquest heard that Elizabeth went home under an intervention parental agreement, without the hospital team’s knowledge, The Guardian reported.
“There is still significant risk in that context,” the doctor said on Monday, according to The Guardian.
The doctor also said: “I would not be supportive of that treatment if I was the clinician involved in that discharge home plan.”
Her father cared for her for the next three years, The Guardian reported.
The Years Before Her Death
Kerrie Struhs was convicted in 2021 over the 2019 incident, the ABC reported.
While she was in jail, her husband, Jason Struhs, joined her church. After her release he was persuaded to withdraw Elizabeth’s insulin, a pre-inquest hearing heard, according to the ABC.
Two Weeks of Evidence Ahead
Thirty witnesses are due to give evidence over two weeks, the ABC reported. They include representatives from Child Safety, Queensland Corrective Services, Queensland Health, Education Queensland and Queensland Police.
The coroner is examining whether state agencies could have better protected Elizabeth before her death.
Buzzline’s Crime & Courts section carries more reporting from Australian courts.
Sources: ABC News, “Queensland coroner begins probe to examine whether system failures led to death of Elizabeth Struhs”, 12 October 2026 (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-12/queensland-elizabeth-struhs-inquest/107256792); The Guardian, “Doctor warned Elizabeth Struhs would not be safe at home years before religious sect killed her by withdrawing medicine”, 12 October 2026 (https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/oct/12/elizabeth-struhs-death-inquest-doctor-home-warning-queensland-coroner-ntwnfb)
John Robert McPherson, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Brisbane Magistrates Court on George Street, home of the Coroners Court of Queensland, pictured in 2011. Used here as a stand-in image; not taken during the inquest.
