Members of the group, who called themselves “the Saints” and worshipped from a Queensland home, were found guilty of manslaughter after withholding lifesaving insulin from the girl.
Members of the group, who called themselves “the Saints” and worshipped from a Queensland home, were found guilty of manslaughter after withholding lifesaving insulin from the girl.
By Cloe Read
January 29, 2025 — 1.16pm
Fourteen members of a fringe religious group accused of killing an eight-year-old girl have been found guilty of manslaughter in one of Queensland’s biggest trials.
Elizabeth Rose Struhs died on January 7, 2022, while lying on a mattress on the floor of her family’s house in Toowoomba, west of Brisbane.
Members of the religious group, who called themselves “the Saints”, were accused of withholding lifesaving insulin from the girl.
Her parents, Jason Richard Struhs, and Kerrie Elizabeth Struhs, were charged alongside 12 other members.
Justice Martin Burns handed down his decision on Wednesday, January 29, finding all 14 guilty of manslaughter.
Mr Struhs and the group’s leader, Brendan Luke Stevens, had been charged with murder. But both were found guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter.
When asked if they had anything to say, Mr Struhs said “no, your honour,” while Stevens said “not that I can think of”.
The court heard Burns had urged the defendants to seek legal advice.
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“I have again urged the prisoners to seek legal representation in relation to not just their rights for appeal, but also for the sentence hearing, which, as you know, is a distinct phase of this proceeding, so it’s by no means too late for lawyers to represent them,” Burns said.
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The men were all dressed in casual clothes, while the women were dressed in blue prison issued clothing.
Martin adjourned the case to February 11 for sentencing, publishing his 469-page reasons online.
More to come.
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