The Indo Daily: Australian religious cult accused of killing Elizabeth Struhs (8) believing ‘God would heal her’

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Two-and-a-half years ago, the tragic death of eight-year-old Elizabeth Struhs in Brisbane, Australia, provoked both anguish and outrage in the local community. That sentiment would later spread far and wide as her passing developed into an international news story.

At the center of the storm – a deeply devoted religious sect known as ‘The Saints’, 14 of whom including Elizabeth’s mother and father, are currently standing trial in connection with her death.

The prosecution alleges that the familial faction withheld life-saving medication from Elizabeth as her health rapidly deteriorated and she lay dying in front of them, with The Saints said to be steadfast in their believe that “God would heal” the ailing child.

When the trial started at the Queensland Supreme Court this week, the defendants, dressed in prison uniforms, entered a specifically designed courtroom altered to accommodate them all. Due to the case's notoriety, the trial will be heard without a jury and is expected to continue for about three months.

Today on the Indo Daily, Fionnán Sheahan is joined by Patrick Billings, court reporter at the Courier-Mail in Brisbane, to get the latest from the opening days at Queensland’s supreme court, and to profile the complicated cult in the dock.

The Indo Daily: Australian religious cult accused of killing child believing 'God would heal her'