$750k Lawsuit: 8yo Left to Die Bombshell

Sister Sues Queensland Government Over Niece’s Tragic Death by Cult

A devastating lawsuit, seeking $750,000 in damages, has been filed by a young woman against the Queensland state government, alleging psychiatric injury stemming from the preventable death of her eight-year-old sister, Elizabeth Struhs. The tragic case, which has sent shockwaves through the community, involves allegations of religious extremism leading to the withholding of life-saving medical treatment.

Jayde Struhs, the elder sister, claims she suffered severe psychological trauma after learning of Elizabeth’s demise in January 2022. The young girl, who suffered from type 1 diabetes, died after her parents, Jason Richard Struhs and Kerrie Elizabeth Struhs, along with twelve other members of a fringe Christian group known as the “Saints,” deliberately ceased her insulin medication.

Faith Healing Over Medical Care: A Deadly Choice

The Saints, described as a cult-like community, hold deeply entrenched beliefs in faith healing. Instead of seeking conventional medical intervention for Elizabeth’s life-threatening condition, the group chose to pray for divine intervention. Court documents reveal that Jason Struhs was allegedly encouraged by other members to remain resolute in his decision to withhold the vital insulin.

For several days, Elizabeth’s health deteriorated alarmingly. Tragically, she passed away between January 6 and 7, 2022, a fate her sister argues was entirely avoidable. The mammoth trial that followed in 2024 saw all fourteen members of the Saints found guilty of manslaughter, a stark indictment of their actions.

Jayde Struhs, who had been estranged from the group and was not implicated in her sister’s death, initiated legal proceedings in the Supreme Court in late 2024. Her legal team, Shine Lawyers, argues that Jayde first became aware of Elizabeth’s death through media reports on January 11, 2022.

A Duty of Care Allegedly Breached

In the notice of claim, Jayde’s representative, Lucinda Nel, stated, “As a result of hearing the avoidable death of her sister, the claimant suffered a psychiatric injury.” The claim further asserts that it was “reasonably foreseeable that persons with a close and loving family bond to Elizabeth Struhs, such as the claimant (Jayde Struhs), would suffer psychiatric injury should Elizabeth suffer a painful, prolonged and preventable and unlawful death as a result of her parents withholding her lifesaving medication and medical attention.”

The lawsuit contends that the state owed a duty of care not only to protect Elizabeth from harm but also to prevent such a tragedy from occurring in the first place. Jayde’s legal team alleges that this duty was breached by the state’s alleged failures.

These alleged breaches include:

• Failing to remove Elizabeth from her parents’ care, despite their prior convictions for severe neglect.
• Inadequate investigation into and monitoring of Kerrie and Jason Struhs’ behaviour and religious beliefs concerning Elizabeth’s diabetic treatment.

A defence has yet to be formally filed, and the case remains at an administrative stage.

Devastating Impact on Jayde’s Life

The profound grief and trauma experienced by Jayde Struhs have had a significant impact on her life and career. According to her claim, she transitioned from full-time employment to a casual role at Bunnings Warehouse following her sister’s death and eventually stopped working altogether. She made a brief attempt to return to work in ground handling services at Brisbane Airport but was unable to continue, ceasing all employment in September 2023.

Jayde has not worked since, the claim details. Ms Nel’s statement highlights the ongoing suffering: “The claimant has suffered and continues to suffer from grief, trauma, low mood, stress, anxiety and insomnia. She has also experienced neck pain which she ascribes to continued stress.”

A Troubled History of Intervention

In an effort to gather information, Ms Nel wrote to Crown Law in August 2024, seeking documents related to Elizabeth’s care prior to early 2022. A statutory declaration from lawyer Samantha Brown, issued in response, reveals that concerns about the Struhs family were first flagged by state services as far back as August 29, 2013.

The Department of Child Safety initiated formal investigations in July 2019, following a near-fatal incident where Elizabeth’s undiagnosed diabetes had severely impacted her health. During a meeting involving the parents and staff from the Queensland Children’s Hospital, Kerrie Struhs reportedly stated, “Kerrie maintained that she would not provide Elizabeth with treatment but would not prevent Jason from providing treatment.”

Elizabeth’s pediatrician noted that Kerrie “appeared to be delusional, not just religiously fanatical” and recommended a mental health assessment. Despite these serious concerns, the Child Safety department recorded an “Substantiated – child in need to protection – Ongoing Intervention (IPA)” outcome for Elizabeth in August 2019. However, the Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect (SCAN) team’s file was closed just nine days later.

Further interviews and visits with the Struhs family occurred until December 2019, before the department formally closed their case. Additional concerns arose after Jason and Kerrie Struhs were charged with failing to supply Elizabeth with the necessaries of life in March 2020.

Between March 2020 and January 2021, no further concerns were reportedly raised regarding Elizabeth or her family. It wasn’t until January 8, 2022, that Child Safety was alerted to Elizabeth’s death at her Rangeville home.

Coroner’s Inquiry to Examine State’s Role

A coroner is scheduled to thoroughly examine any potential issues surrounding Elizabeth’s protective needs prior to her death and the extent of contact state authorities had with the Struhs family. During a pre-inquest conference, the court heard that hospital staff who treated Elizabeth in 2019 had expressed reservations about her return to the Struhs household. However, counsel assisting the coroner, Simon Hamlyn-Harris, indicated that Child Safety staff reportedly believed they could rely on Jason Struhs to manage his daughter’s medical requirements, a belief that proved tragically misplaced.