Inquest hears Elizabeth Struhs child safety case was not prioritized

A Queensland coroner's court has heard that the child protection case of eight year old Elizabeth Struhs was not prioritized or worked intensively because the assigned staff member was very busy. The Guardian and ABC News Australia reported on October 16 that Coroner Ainslie Kirkegaard is holding an inquest into the girl's death at the Brisbane Magistrates Court. [1][2]

According to the Guardian, the court heard that the case worker may have been overly influenced by the presentation of the family's upper class home. The staff member placed cases that were believed to carry a more immediate risk ahead of Elizabeth's case. [1]

ABC News Australia reported that a child safety staff member told the inquiry she never expected the girl's father, Jason Struhs, to convert to the religious sect and adopt its extreme views. The witness noted that he had managed to treat Elizabeth's condition appropriately for more than two years before her death without child safety intervention. [2]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, Elizabeth Struhs died of diabetic ketoacidosis at her home in Toowoomba, Queensland, after her family withdrew her lifesaving insulin injections. Fourteen members of the Saints religious sect, including her parents, were later convicted of manslaughter. [7][8]

ABC News Australia reported that the coronial inquest has heard from more than a dozen witnesses during its first week. The inquiry continues to probe whether responses by various government departments were appropriate. [2]