Sister of slain diabetic breaks silence

The older sister of a young diabetic girl allegedly killed by members of a faith-healing religious circle has broken her silence, telling a court what life was like inside the congregation.

Jayde Struhs took the stand on the fourth day of the trial against 14 members of the religious group, known as The Saints, who are charged with the murder and manslaughter of eight-year-old Elizabeth Struhs.

Brisbane Supreme Court was told Jayde left the church in 2014 over conflicts about her sexuality.

She gave evidence of how she came to know the Stevens family and detailed life inside the congregation – where Christmas was not celebrated and how the group split off from a Brisbane-based church.

“Walking out, I realised I didn’t want to have to confront that,” Jayde told the court about her decision to leave her family.

“It’s not something I wanted to do. I didn’t feel safe there.”

Elizabeth’s father Jason Richard Struhs, 57, and 62-year-old Brendan Luke Stevens – the leader of the religious group known as The Saints – are both charged with her murder.

Her mother Kerrie Elizabeth Struhs, 49, and elder brother Zachary Alan Struhs, 21, are facing charges of manslaughter.

Loretta Mary Stevens, 67 – the wife of Brendan Stevens – and their adult children Acacia Naree Stevens, 31, Therese Maria Stevens, 37, Sebastian James Stevens, 23, Andrea Louise Stevens, 34, Camellia Claire Stevens, 28, and Alexander Francis Stevens, 26, are also charged with manslaughter.

Lachlan Stuart Schoenfisch, 34 and his wife Samantha Emily Schoenfisch, 26, and a third woman, Keita Courtney Martin, 22, are also charged with manslaughter.

Elizabeth, a Type-1 diabetic, died between January 6-7, 2022 at her family’s Rangeville home, in Toowoomba.

The Crown contends her insulin medication was withheld for six days before her death, in line with the religious group’s hard line beliefs on the healing power of God.

It is alleged Jason Struhs made the decision to stop administering the drug to Elizabeth while the other members of The Saints “manipulated” him into joining their congregation and adopting their beliefs.

On Monday, Jayde Struhs – Jason and Kerrie’s estranged daughter – said she first met Brendan Stevens and his family when she was in grade one at Tarampa State School.

She was five-years-old at the time.

The court was told Brendan and his family lived on school property, owned by the principal.

Jayde Struhs gave evidence the Stevenses invited her family back to their home where Kerrie Struhs bonded with the couple over their religious beliefs.

The families would also attend a Brisbane-based church called Revival Centres International where Jayde testified Brendan Stevens would at times “read scripture” at the church.

Jayde said she was baptised by Brendan Stevens and “received the Holy Spirit” at the church.

She explained this process involved “receiving the language of God” which involved the speaking of tongues.

Ms Marco asked what this “speaking in tongues” sounded like.

Jayde answered: “Like a different language.”

A few years later Jayde explained the group split off from the church and began to hold services at the Stevens house in Gatton, which were led by Brendan.

By this time, she was 10.

“There was a big deal … when my mum and Brendan and the Stevenses felt like they needed to leave Revival Centres International,” Jayde said,

“The small amount I remember is that the church was not on the righteous path and going down a different route.

“At that stage Brendan was trying to be a pastor there … that didn’t happen.”

Jayde said Christmas was branded a “pagan festival” and not celebrated in the household.

It was something which caused more friction with her parents, Jayde said.

Jayde said the members were urged to “spread the word of God” at any opportunity, including while at school.

“It was something that was heavily encouraged … I would do that within the school environment,” she said.

“It was encouraged any assignment would be put back to a religious perspective so we could share that at any point.

“School was always an opportunity to talk about God rather than an education.”

Jayde said the group shared the view that God could “heal” people through prayer and were told not to rely on medicine.

She said it was shared through scriptures in the bible – something which became “stronger” after leaving Revival Centres International.

“If anyone was ill or hurt themselves, that’s the first thing we would hear every time,” Jayde said.

Jayde said her father still took his children to get vaccinated, but she otherwise never went to the dentist or took any medication if they were sick.

Jayde said she eventually stopped trying to “spread the word” when she reached high school.

In her evidence, she described being told to “be cautious” of interacting with people who did not share their views.

Jayde said this extended to family members who did not share their beliefs over fears they would be pulled “off the path of God”.

“Others were different from us,” Jayde recalled being told.

“Relationships were a big one. If we were in one, it would be within the church only as it was conflicting to outside.”

Jayde said her mother would also give a tithing to Brendan in the form of $50 each week.

“It was very consistent and continued throughout the years,” she said.

“It was a conflicting thing in our household. I would hear arguments about it.”

Jayde said she discovered she was gay at age 16.

The church viewed homosexuality an “abomination” in the eyes of God, the court was told.

“My mother heard the news … I tried to express to her this was what was going on with me. It didn’t go well from the views,” Jayde said.

“Mum rang Brendan … they picked me up … (and) Brendan was reading me a lot of scriptures about why I can’t be gay, because of God, and that I needed to turn back and find him.”

Jayde gave evidence that Kerrie and Brendan tried to tell her she was not gay and urged her to “follow God” or “a lot of bad things would happen” if she continued.

It culminated in Jayde leaving the family home in 2014 – at age 16.

“I was scared of what was going to happen to me if I didn’t accept myself,” she said.

“It was talked about I would endure hell forever. It was something I was very scared of.”

Coronial counsellor Julie Baker said she contacted Jason Struhs on January 11, 2022 to advise him that he could appoint a funeral director for Elizabeth.

She gave evidence Jason told her he didn’t believe in funerals and he would “not be burying a bag of bones”.

The court was told Ms Baker confirmed if he would be okay if a government-appointed funeral director would take care of Elizabeth’s remains.

“He advised there was no-one else available,” she said.

The trial continues.