Mother Deemed No Risk Weeks Before Daughter's Death, Inquest Hears

A Queensland correctional services officer assessed Kerrie Struhs as posing "no immediate risk to others" in late December 2021, just three weeks before her eight-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, died from diabetic ketoacidosis due to withheld insulin[1][2][3]. This assessment occurred despite Struhs' prior conviction for child neglect involving Elizabeth, a detail that the current coronial inquest is scrutinizing as a systemic failure[1][2][3][6].

The ongoing inquest aims to determine if government agencies, including child safety, education, and correctional services, failed in their duty to protect Elizabeth, highlighting concerns about risk assessment protocols and inter-agency communication[5][6].

What the records show

Proceedings on October 20, 2026, revealed that the correctional services officer who conducted Kerrie Struhs' risk assessment in late December 2021 lacked access to her complete offending history[1][2][3]. This omission meant specific details, including her prior child neglect conviction involving Elizabeth, were not considered when determining her risk level[1][2]. Struhs had previously been sentenced to five months in jail for failing to provide the necessities of life after Elizabeth was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2019[10]. The inquest heard that this missing information allowed a significant warning sign in her history to be overlooked[1][2].

The timeline

Kerrie Struhs was released from jail on December 16, 2021[10]. Approximately three weeks later, in late December 2021, the correctional services assessment took place, concluding she was not an immediate risk[1][2][3][10]. On January 1, 2022, Elizabeth's father, Jason Struhs, stopped administering her rapid-acting insulin, and ceased her slow-release insulin in the following days[10]. Elizabeth's health quickly declined over the next six days while members of "The Saints," an extreme religious sect, gathered to pray and sing for a divine cure, rejecting medical intervention[5][10][11][14]. Elizabeth died from diabetic ketoacidosis on January 7, 2022[5][10][13]. On January 29, 2025, fourteen adult members of "The Saints," including Elizabeth's parents, Kerrie and Jason Struhs, were convicted of her manslaughter[5][8][9]. The Queensland coronial inquest began around October 12, 2026[4][7].

What changed and for whom

The case has prompted the ongoing Queensland coronial inquest, which commenced around October 12, 2026, to investigate failures within government agencies[6][7]. The coroner noted a "lack of curiosity" regarding the family's extreme religious beliefs as a "missed opportunity" for intervention[5]. The coroner is now considering recommendations from Victoria's cults inquiry, which could lead to updated inter-agency communication and risk assessment protocols to better protect children in similar situations[5].

What the subject has said publicly

Kerrie Struhs maintained a belief that God would heal her daughter, a conviction reiterated at the inquest[12][15]. This belief was central to her actions and those of other members of "The Saints" in withholding Elizabeth's life-saving medication[12][14][15].

What we could not confirm

The precise date of the correctional services risk assessment for Kerrie Struhs within late December 2021 could not be confirmed[1][2][3]. The final recommendations of the ongoing coronial inquest have also not been confirmed[5][6].