Elizabeth Struhs death: Loretta Stevens says girl trusted in God’s healing after diabetes diagnosis

[Pelican Press 0]

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

Elizabeth Struhs ******: Loretta Stevens says girl trusted in ****’s healing after diabetes diagnosis

The religious group charged over the ****** of an eight-year-old diabetic girl who ***** after not receiving her lifesaving medication claim she believed in “the powers of ****”, a court has been told.

Elizabeth’s father Jason Richard Struhs, 57 and Brendan Luke Stevens, 62, are both charged with Elizabeth’s *******.

Twelve others, including her mother Kerrie Elizabeth Struhs, 49, and elder brother Zachary Alan Struhs, 21, are each charged with Elizabeth’s manslaughter.

Camera IconElizabeth Struhs ***** after her she wasn’t given her insulin medication. Credit: Supplied

They are 67-year-old Loretta Mary Stevens – Mr Stevens’ wife – and their ****** children Acacia Naree Stevens, 31, Therese Maria Stevens, 37, Sebastian James Stevens, 23, Andrea Louise Stevens, 34, Camellia Claire Stevens, 28, and Alexander Francis Stevens, 26.

Lachlan Stuart Schoenfisch, 34, his wife Samantha Emily Schoenfisch, 26, and a third woman, Keita Courtney Martin, 22, are also each charged with manslaughter.

Elizabeth, a type-1 diabetic, ***** sometime between the evening of January 6 and the morning of January 7, 2022 at the Struhses’ family home in the Toowoomba suburb of Rangeville.

The eight-year-old had been found not breathing on a mattress in the downstairs living area of her home on the morning of January 7.

The Crown contends Elizabeth’s insulin medication was withdrawn entirely days earlier on January 3 that year in line with the group’s religious belief in the healing power of ****.

Crown prosecutor Caroline Marco said the girl suffered “for days” and entered a state of “altered consciousness” where she needed help going to the *******.

The court was told she also started vomiting after eating.

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera IconFourteen members of a religious circle are accused of ******** Elizabeth by withholding her insulin medication. Court Sketch / NewsWire Credit: News Corp Australia

The court was previously told Elizabeth’s parents were aware she needed daily insulin injections and of the potential consequences if she did not receive the medicine.

As the mammoth trial continued on Monday, a recorded police interview with Loretta Stevens was played before the court.

Loretta tells police days after Elizabeth’s ****** that the young girl had a “******* to trust in ****”.

“The needles hurt Elizabeth – she didn’t like it,” Loretta said.

When asked by police if Elizabeth told her those words exactly, Loretta replied: “I can’t remember it word for word.

“Over time we did speak with Elizabeth, confirming whether she believed in the powers of **** – (which) yes, she did.

“I couldn’t say she said exactly what she did (say).

“Her inference was that she didn’t want to be on this stuff (her medication) and rather trusted in ****. “There was an understanding I knew from Elizabeth that she had a trust in ****.”

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera IconKerrie and Jason Struhs with their eight-year-old daughter Elizabeth. Supplied / A Current Affair Credit: Supplied

Loretta told police that Elizabeth had been baptised and filled with the Holy Spirit “the entire time in her mother’s womb” and “before she was *****”.

“The Lord protected her beautifully while she was in Brisbane (in hospital in 20219),” she said.

The trial previously was told Elizabeth’s mother, Kerrie, was sentenced to five months’ jail in July 2021. She had been found guilty of failing to provide Elizabeth with the necessities of life after her daughter was diagnosed with diabetes in 2019.

The court was told Jason was responsible for helping Elizabeth administer her insulin after her diagnosis.

He was later baptised into the group’s *******, known as The Saints, in 2021.

The court was told he was baptised while Kerrie was in jail because he was arguing with his son Zachary and “not coping” looking after his remaining children without his wife’s help.

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera IconBrendan Stevens is charged with Elizabeth’s *******. Credit: Supplied

In her recorded police interview, Loretta said Jason decided to be baptised because he “wanted to turn to ****”.

“For 50 years he’d lived in a world of trouble … as soon as he prayed with his son that evening back in August (2021), he knew the Lord had taken away his anger immediately,” she said.

“He was so at peace.

“When (Kerrie) went to prison, Jason was brought to his knees if you like.”

She also condemned the ******* investigation carried out by police at the time.

Loretta told police that neither the *******, Elizabeth’s parents or anyone in “Kerrie’s family” committed any offence.

“There’s definitely not ******* involved,” Loretta said.

“I don’t think there’s any offence you should be investigating.

“There’s definitely no offence on anyone here. Not anyone in the ******* is in the wrong here.

“We believe that.”

The trial continues.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

#Elizabeth #Struhs #****** #Loretta #Stevens #girl #trusted #Gods #healing #diabetes #diagnosis

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up