Inquest finds child safety missed coercive control in Struhs case
An inquest heard child safety workers failed to spot coercive control affecting Elizabeth Struhs's father.
Elizabeth Struhs died in January 2022 when her father stopped providing insulin for her type 1 diabetes. Jason Struhs had recently joined a sect called The Saints, whose members believed God would heal her.
Child safety workers failed to see coercive control being used on the father, an inquest heard. The workers focused too narrowly on diabetes management and missed warning signs: the mother's anti-medicine beliefs, domestic violence, and church control.
A witness said staff had found just one form of abuse when two were present. If child safety had seen the coercive control, they could have helped the father resist the church's influence.
Both parents were sentenced to 14 years in prison for Elizabeth's manslaughter in 2025.
- Elizabeth Struhs died in January 2022
- Child's death
- Both parents sentenced to 14 years in 2025
- Prison sentence
Why it mattersThe inquest reveals gaps in how agencies identify family abuse, with lessons for child protection systems.
AustraliaThe case examines Queensland's child safety system and how workers assessed risks, with findings that may reshape how agencies identify domestic abuse.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 3 h ago
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