Fourteen members of a church group wanted to 'play' God while they saw a young girl die slowly after having withheld her life -saving medication, a judge heard.
Eight -year -old Elizabeth Rose Struhs died on January 7, 2022 in the house of her family in Toowoomba, west of Brisbane, after her parents, brother and 11 other members of 'The Saints' religious group gathered around her.
The 14 defendants stood opposite the Supreme Court in Brisbane on Friday before the start of their conviction.
The defendants represented themselves during the process, refused to introduce arguments and claimed that they acted on their religious beliefs, including rejecting modern medicine as 'witchcraft'.
Elizabeth's oldest sister Jayde read from her victim impact statement and said that her parents 'the righteous path were led' in extreme religious beliefs.
“Elizabeth Rose Struhs was an innocent child. She was my sister. Now she's dead. She will never come back. There was no accident, “she said.
“She died because the people who loved her were indoctrinated.”
She said she had put a lot of confidence in her father Jason Richard Struhs, 53 years old, to protect Elizabeth against the leader of Saints Brendan Luke Stevens, 63, and his wife Loretta Mary Stevens, 67.
Eight -year -old Elizabeth Rose Struhs (photo) died on January 7, 2022 in the house of her family in Toowoomba, west of Brisbane, after her parents, brother and 11 other members of 'The Saints' religious group gathered to pray around her pray
Jason Struhs and the Stevens pair were among the 14 members of the church group who were found guilty of manslaughter on 31 January.
“These people only wanted to control my family and everything they did. Everything for the feeling of power … so that they could play God. '
Elizabeth's mother Kerrie Elizabeth Struhs, 49, and brother Zachary Alan Struhs, 22, were also found guilty of manslaughter.
The defendants appeared in informal clothing and were in individual cabins with glass walls.
Public Prosecutor Caroline Marco van de Kroon said that the 14 defendants could easily have looked for medical help for Elizabeth while they suffered.
“Their belief in God's healing should have been taken away when Elizabeth became more unwell,” she said.
“They confessed the faith in the arrogant and stubborn way to deliberately blind them.”
The defendants did not make any entries on Friday on behalf of themselves about what their penalties should be.
The public prosecutor suggested a penalty of 15 years for the father of Elizabeth (photo)
Elizabeth had slipped in and out of consciousness, suffered unnoticed thirst and lost the ability to talk during the six days without her prescribed insulin for type-1 diabetes.
“They saw how unwell she became as soon as the insulin was withdrawn,” said Mrs. Marco.
'Instead, they saw her die slowly. Some defendants said they appreciated that she could die. '
Mrs. Marco argued that Jason and Kerrie Struhs should be locked up for 15 years and Brendan Stevens should be sentenced to 12 years as the 'most important instigator'.
Mrs. Marco said the rest of the defendants between the ages of seven and eight must be convicted.
Justice Martin Burns said he would reserve his decision about penalties until after 24 February.
Therese Maria Stevens, 37, Sebastian James Stevens, 24, Camellia Claire Stevens, 29, Andrea Louise Stevens, 35, Alexander Francis Stevens, 26, Acacia Nare Stevens, 32, Samantha Emily Schoenfisch, 26, Lachlan Stuart Schoenfisch, 34, and Keita Courtney Martin, 24 were the other defendants.
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