A mother accused of killing her daughter had a parole meeting scheduled a day before the eight-year-old girl died allegedly from her diabetes medication being withheld, a judge has heard.
Kerrie Elizabeth Struhs, 49, has refused to enter a plea in the Brisbane Supreme Court to the charge of manslaughter over the death of her daughter Elizabeth Rose Struhs at Toowoomba, west of Brisbane, on January 7, 2022.
Elizabeth died while lying on a mattress on the floor of her family’s living room six days after her father, Jason Richard Struhs, 52, allegedly agreed with the family’s religious group to reduce and then stop her insulin shots.
Justice Martin Burns heard on Tuesday that Kerrie Struhs had been scheduled to attend a follow-up meeting with a parole officer in Toowoomba on January 6, 2022, after she was released from a five-month prison term in December 2021.
Kerrie Struhs was handed an 18-month sentence for failing to provide the necessities of life to Elizabeth in 2019 when she nearly died of prolonged and extreme symptoms from her then-undiagnosed type-1 diabetes.
Parole duty officer Melanie Ford said she met with Kerrie Struhs on December 23, 2021, and she was told the parolee was spending all her time taking care of her family and attending church.
Crown prosecutor Toby Corsbie asked if there was any discussion about Kerrie Struhs withholding medication from children.
Corsbie asked if there was any discussion of Jason Struhs adopting the family’s religious beliefs, which previous witnesses have described as forbidding man-made medicine in favour of God’s healing.
“No,” Ford said and told Burns that Kerrie Struhs’ next parole appointment was for January 6.
Jason Struhs and the 62-year-old leader of the family’s religious group The Saints, Brendan Luke Stevens, have been charged with murder over Elizabeth’s death.
The other 11 members of The Saints have been charged with manslaughter.
Tuesday was the 10th day of a 55-day judge-only trial for all 14 defendants, who are all self-represented and have refused to enter pleas.
Parole case manager Eleanor Savill testified she received a phone call from Kerrie Struhs on January 6 in the morning.
“Ms (Kerrie) Struhs was scheduled to report to me in person that morning at 9.30am… she was calling to say she was unwell and she could not attend… she mentioned diarrhoea,” Savill said.
Crown prosecutor Caroline Marco previously said Jason Struhs completely stopped Elizabeth’s insulin on January 3 and she started getting sick that day.
Parole officer Maria Bidgood previously testified that Kerrie Struhs said soon after release she would “make the same decision again but I would not stop any other person interfering’,” in terms of denying medical care to Elizabeth.
The other defendants are Loretta Mary Stevens, 67, Andrea Louise Stevens, 34, Acacia Naree Stevens, 31, Camellia Claire Stevens, 28, Therese Maria Stevens, 37 Keita Courtney Martin, 22, Lachlan Stuart Schoenfisch, 34, Samantha Emily Schoenfisch, 26, Zachary Alan Struhs, 21, Sebastian James Stevens, 23, and Alexander Francis Stevens, 26.
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