Mother assessed as posing no immediate risk to others three weeks before Elizabeth Struhs’ manslaughter, inquest hears
Summary
Elizabeth Struhs died from diabetic ketoacidosis 22 days after her mother, Kerrie Struhs, was released on parole. Kerrie had been assessed as posing no immediate risk to others despite her history of neglecting Elizabeth’s medical needs, which contributed to the child’s death. The inquest revealed failures in the parole and child safety systems that missed warning signs before Elizabeth’s death.Key Facts
- Kerrie Struhs was sentenced to five months in jail for neglecting her daughter Elizabeth’s type 1 diabetes in 2019.
- Elizabeth was nearly dead and in a coma when she was taken to hospital in 2019 due to lack of insulin treatment.
- After Elizabeth was discharged, she was placed in the care of her father, Jason Struhs, who was also later convicted of child neglect.
- Kerrie was released on parole on December 16, 2021, and was assessed by correctional officers who did not have access to her full offending history.
- The parole intake officer initially rated Kerrie as low risk but later raised it to standard risk, requiring weekly parole meetings.
- Kerrie expressed a belief that God would heal Elizabeth and said she would not interfere with someone else seeking treatment, despite her history of neglect.
- Doctors considered Kerrie’s beliefs dangerous enough to say Elizabeth could not safely live with her, but child safety did not act on this fully.
- Elizabeth died on January 7, 2022, after her father stopped giving her insulin at home.
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