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

> A Queensland correctional services officer assessed Kerrie Struhs as posing no immediate risk just three weeks before her eight-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, died of diabetic ketoacidosis after insulin was withheld.

By PrimaryBrief newsroom · Published 2026-10-20T12:48:04.039554Z
Canonical: https://primarybrief.com/article/mother-deemed-no-risk-weeks-before-daughter-s-death-inquest-hears-f65213fd

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].

## Evidence cited
1. Queensland correctional services officer did not have access to details of Kerrie Struhs' past offending which included child neglect. (www.theguardian.com) — https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/oct/19/mother-assessed-as-posing-no-immediate-risk-to-others-three-weeks-before-elizabeth-struhs-manslaughter-inquest-hears-ntwnfb
2. Queensland correctional services officer did not have access to details of Kerrie Struhs' past offending which included child neglect Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Elizabeth Struhs' mother, Kerrie, was assessed by correctional services as being of no immediate risk to others by an officer who had no access to her offending history, three weeks before she and others caused her eight-year-old daughter to die, a Brisbane inquest has heard. Kerrie Struhs was sentenced  (thedailybreakingnews.com) — https://thedailybreakingnews.com/
3. Brisbane Inquest Hears Mother Assessed as 'No Immediate Risk' Weeks Before Elizabeth Struhs' Death A Brisbane coroner's inquest has heard that Kerrie Struhs—whose eight-year-old daughter Elizabeth subsequently died of diabetic ketoacidosis—was assessed by correctional services as posing no immediate... (madebycinder.com) — https://madebycinder.com/
4. Inquest hears paediatricians pleaded with child safety for action to protect the eight-year-old from her parents and other Toowoomba sect members. (www.theguardian.com) — https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/oct/12/inquest-hears-paediatricians-pleaded-with-child-safety-for-action-to-protect-the-eight-year-old-from-her-parents-and-other-toowoomba-sect-members
5. The coroner investigating the death of Elizabeth Struhs is considering adopting recommendations from Victoria's cults inquiry, warning a “lack of curiosity” about her family's religious beliefs was a “missed opportunity”. Elizabeth, an eight-year-old, died on 7 January 2022 of diabetic ketoacidosis after her father ceased providing insulin to treat type 1 diabetes. The rest of her family and other members of a religious sect known as the “saints” subscribed to an extreme form of Christianity and (www.theguardian.com) — https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/oct/20/the-coroner-investigating-the-death-of-elizabeth-struhs-is-considering-adopting-recommendations-from-victorias-cults-inquiry-warning-a-lack-of-curiosity-about-her-familys-religious-beliefs-was-a-missed-opportunity
6. Elizabeth Struhs: Inquest into eight-year-old's death | 7NEWS Spotlight (YouTube) — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9K1G92Zl90
7. Queensland coronial inquest into death of eight-year-old girl continues after 14 members of religious sect were convicted of her manslaughter. (www.theguardian.com) — https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/oct/13/queensland-coronial-inquest-into-death-of-eight-year-old-girl-continues-after-14-members-of-religious-sect-were-convicted-of-her-manslaughter
8. Elizabeth Struhs' parents found guilty of manslaughter | ABC News (YouTube) — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7X5S-Z_n62o
9. 14 members of religious sect found guilty of manslaughter of 8-year-old girl who died after insulin withheld - CNN (CNN) — https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/29/australia/australia-religious-sect-manslaughter-guilty-verdict-elizabeth-struhs-intl-hnk/index.html
10. Death of Elizabeth Struhs - Wikipedia (Wikipedia) — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Elizabeth_Struhs
11. Elizabeth Struhs: cult member speaks out | ABC News (YouTube) — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0h6QfM8894w
12. Inquest into death of Queensland girl denied insulin by her religious parents is told Kerrie Struhs believed God would heal her daughter. (www.theguardian.com) — https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/oct/15/inquest-into-death-of-queensland-girl-denied-insulin-by-her-religious-parents-is-told-kerrie-struhs-believed-god-would-heal-her-daughter
13. 8-year-old Elizabeth Struhs died after parents withheld insulin due to religious beliefs - CBS News (CBS News) — https://cbsnews.com/news/elizabeth-struhs-8-died-of-diabetic-ketoacidosis-after-parents-withheld-insulin/
14. Religious group accused of killing girl believed 'God would heal' her (AAP) — https://www.aap.com.au/news/religious-group-accused-of-killing-girl-believed-god-would-heal-her/
15. Mum of Elizabeth Struhs inquest hears she believed God would cure daughter's diabetes (The Nightly) — https://www.thenightly.com.au/news/crime/mum-of-elizabeth-struhs-inquest-hears-she-believed-god-would-cure-daughters-diabetes-c-15104207
16. Elizabeth Struhs - Manslaughter Reasons for Judgment 2025-01-30.pdf (wikimedia.org) — https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Elizabeth_Struhs_-_Manslaughter_Reasons_for_Judgment_2025-01-30.pdf
17. Facebook (facebook.com) — https://www.facebook.com/ExPentecostalStories/posts/pfbid0xN5QJ1i5DkZtq4aV1z2pG9M611q4X7N2j9d6P2G4S4M3zM1k81g1b1m2g8r1s9p5M6r7
18. Inquest hears Queensland agencies failed to protect Elizabeth Struhs (apple.com) — https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2026/10/inquest-hears-queensland-agencies-failed-to-protect-elizabeth-struhs/