Fourteen members of a Christian group in Australia were found guilty on Wednesday of manslaughter in the death of eight-year-old Elizabeth Struhs, whose insulin was withheld due to religious beliefs.
Elizabeth, who had Type-1 diabetes, died in January 2022 after the congregation refused medical treatment, believing God would heal her, according to ABC News.
The convicted include her parents, Jason and Kerrie Struhs, her brother, the group’s leader, and ten others.
Police were not alerted until more than a day after Elizabeth’s death. The group believed she would be resurrected.
“We took Elizabeth off her medication and waited for God to do his work,” Kerrie Struhs told police. “He (God) can still bring her back. It doesn’t matter where her body is, he can still raise her up and that’s what we still expect.”
Elizabeth’s sister, Jayde Struhs, called the verdict a “good outcome” but criticized authorities.
“The system failed to protect Elizabeth in the first place,” she said.
The defendants are set to be sentenced next month.