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Members of a church group accused of causing the death of an eight-year-old girl have denied they acted in a criminal conspiracy to deny her diabetes medication, a court heard.
Elizabeth Rose Struhs died on 7 January 2022 at her family’s home in Toowoomba, west of Brisbane, after six days without her prescribed insulin shots for type-1 diabetes.
Jason Richard Struhs, 53, faced Brisbane Supreme Court on Friday and gave a closing address in the ninth week of his judge-only murder trial.
Struhs told justice Martin Burns his daughter “didn’t want to” receive insulin injections and believed in healing through faith, as did her other family members.
“I sat with my daughter and told her the doctors told me if she didn’t have the insulin she would die. We had so many arguments about this,” Struhs said.
Jason Struhs accepted baptism into the congregation known as ‘The Saints’ in August 2021. He denied he later “succumbed to pressure” from The Saints to withdraw Elizabeth’s insulin.
“It was only mine and Elizabeth’s decision to stop the insulin, no one else,” Struhs said.
He said he still had faith and God would bring Elizabeth back from the dead.
“To all of you, it looks like God has failed. I know that Elizabeth is only sleeping,” he said.
No representation, no pleas
Elizabeth’s father and Brendan Luke Stevens, the 62-year-old leader of The Saints, are charged with Elizabeth’s murder.
Jason Struhs’ son Zachary Struhs, 23, and wife Kerrie Struhs, 49, joined The Saints years before and also faced trial charged with manslaughter over Elizabeth’s death.
The group refused legal representation and refused to enter pleas. As a result, pleas of not guilty were entered on their behalf. Source: AAP / Michael Felix
During an hour-long closing address on Friday, Stevens compared Elizabeth to biblical figures who were resurrected by Jesus Christ.
“We will also see Elizabeth raised again in this life,” he said.
Stevens denied ever telling his congregation members to stop taking medication.
Lachlan Schoenfish, who is charged with manslaughter in the case, also told Burns: “We believe she will be raised from the dead.”
Another nine members of The Saints have also been charged with manslaughter over their alleged encouragement to withdraw Elizabeth’s insulin or decision not to call for help when her health rapidly deteriorated.
All 14 defendants represented themselves at trial and refused to enter pleas. As a result, pleas of not guilty were entered on their behalf.
Burns adjourned the matter until he could reach his verdicts, which he said could take until October or later.