The father of eight-year-old Elizabeth Struhs was punished 14-and-a-half years in prison, with a minimum of 80% spent behind bars, for the death of his eight-year-old Type 1 with diabetes daughter by rejecting her saving insulin.
Jason Struhs was the first of the 14 members of the toowoomba sect -based sect -based sects who learned his fate at a hearing on the Supreme Court of Queensland on Wednesday, after they were found guilty of killing the killing of Elizabeth in January 2022 the death of Diabetic Ketoacidosis.
Sect leader Brendan Stevens, was sentenced to 13 -year jail, and should serve at 80% of that time before applying for bail.
“You are a dangerous high manipulative individual and the authorities will be wise to consider that with your release from caution,” said Justice Martin Burns,
Jason Struhs and Stevens, were convicted of killing people next to 12 other sect members after being found not guilty of killing through reckless apathy in trial only to last year’s judge.
Responding to Jason Struhs, Burns said: “You put your own personal beliefs ahead of your duty and then covered the life of your eight -year -old son here.”
The 14 members of the sect did not show emotion and said nothing while Burns delivered his comments.
“You have allowed your faith to be blind to his true state,” Justice Martin Burns told them.
“Elizabeth suffered a slow and painful death and you were all on one way or another responsible.”
The group of faith, compared to a cult in court, does not believe in medicine – described by some members as “witchcraft”. Instead of administering insulin, they prayed and sang for Elizabeth’s miraculous healing as she was lying in a four -day period in a house in Rangeville, Toowoomba.
Mother Kerrie and father Jason Struhs have previously been convicted of failing to provide the needs of life for Elizabeth after an incident 2019.
That year, Elizabeth, who had not been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, had been ill for about six days. When he was later taken to Father Jason’s hospital, he was described as in court as to death, and fell into a coma.
Kerrie was punished for serving 18 months in prison, but only five served. Jason was given a six -month suspended penalty, slightly reduced because he testified against his wife.
Jason then spent helping to treat Elizabeth’s disease without Elizabeth’s disease before convinced to convert to the faith of the Saints, and then end the use of insulin to treat her daughter’s diabetes, in 2021.
The 14 defendants are not represented by advice during the trial or trial.
They refused to defend themselves against their charges, which they described as “religious persecution”.
They also refused to enter the pleasures. Justice Martin Burns ordered that the non -guilty requests were adopted in their name, in accordance with Queensland law.
Members of the 14 guilty sects are: Jason Struhs, 53, Brendan Stevens, 63, Kerrie Struhs, 49, Zachary Struhs, 22, 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 Crouch, 26, Sebastian James Stevens, 23, and Alexander Francis Stevens, 26.
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