‘Lack of curiosity’ about family’s religious beliefs was ‘missed opportunity’ to save eight-year-old, inquest hears
Coroner considers adopting recommendations from Victoria's cults inquiry in Elizabeth Struhs' death inquest. Family's religious beliefs were not questioned, leading to missed opportunity to save child.
Intelligence analysis by Qwen 2.5 (3B)
Coroner Ainslie Kirkegaard is considering adopting recommendations from Victoria's cults inquiry in the death inquest of eight-year-old Elizabeth Struhs, whose parents withdrew insulin treatment for her type 1 diabetes, leading to her death from diabetic ketoacidosis.
The coroner is looking at ways to prevent children from dying like Elizabeth. They think not asking about the family's beliefs was a mistake and missed an opportunity to help.
Analysis
{"
Victoria's Cults Inquiry Recommendations":"The Victoria's cults inquiry recommended creating a new offence akin to the domestic violence offence of coercive control to apply in the context of an organised group, such as a cult, among others. The coroner is considering these recommendations in the context of Elizabeth Struhs' death.","
Religious Beliefs and Child Safety":"The coroner has asked several witnesses about their level of curiosity about Kerrie Struhs' beliefs. Many have said they weren't curious at all, or they were only curious about the degree to which they created a risk to her daughter, not their origins. This lack of curiosity is seen as a missed opportunity to identify broader influences for the children within the family.","
Queensland Police Response":"Queensland police have only recently created a reporting mechanism or crime class reflecting cult-related offending, but created one in June 2026 identifying 'ideology of concern'. The coroner is considering whether similar recommendations might be appropriate in response to the death of Elizabeth."}
Key points
- Coroner considers adopting recommendations from Victoria's cults inquiry in Elizabeth Struhs' death inquest
- Family's religious beliefs were not questioned, leading to missed opportunity to save child
- Queensland police have only recently created a reporting mechanism for cult-related offending
By adopting recommendations from Victoria's cults inquiry, the coroner hopes to better understand and prevent similar tragedies in the future.
If the coroner doesn't adopt these recommendations, the coroner believes it could lead to similar tragedies happening again.
