Mother assessed as posing no immediate risk to others three weeks before Elizabeth Struhs’ manslaughter, inquest hears
A Queensland correctional services officer assessed Kerrie Struhs as posing no immediate risk to others three weeks before Elizabeth Struhs’ manslaughter, a Brisbane inquest heard. The officer did not have access to Kerrie Struhs’ past offending, which included child neglect.
Key Facts
- Kerrie Struhs was assessed as posing no immediate risk to others by a correctional services officer.
- The assessment occurred three weeks before Elizabeth Struhs’ manslaughter.
- The officer lacked access to Kerrie Struhs’ past offending history.
- Kerrie Struhs’ past offences included child neglect.
- Elizabeth Struhs died after being so unwell she was nearly dead and in a coma when hospitalized.
The Story
What happened in the weeks leading up to the incident?
A Queensland correctional services officer reviewed Kerrie Struhs and determined she posed no immediate risk to others. That assessment occurred approximately three weeks before Elizabeth Struhs’ manslaughter. The officer making the assessed risk determination did not have access to details of Kerrie Struhs’ prior offending record.
Kerrie Struhs’ previous offences included child neglect. In 2019, she was sentenced to five months’ jail after failing to take Elizabeth to hospital to treat her type 1 diabetes. The coroner has previously heard that Elizabeth was so unwell on arrival at hospital that she was nearly dead and in a coma.
Who is affected by this case?
The findings arise during a Brisbane inquest into Elizabeth Struhs’ manslaughter. Elizabeth was eight years old at the time of her death. The case raises questions about how risk assessments are conducted and what information is shared with officers responsible for those assessments.
Kerrie Struhs pleaded guilty to child neglect in 2019 and received a five-month jail sentence. The coroner, Ainslie Kirkegaard, is overseeing the inquest examining the circumstances surrounding Elizabeth’s death. The inquest is reviewing whether gaps in information sharing affected the assessed risk outcome.
How did we get here?
The inquest is examining the timeline between Kerrie Struhs’ earlier conviction and the fatal incident. Coroner Ainslie Kirkegaard has heard evidence about Elizabeth’s condition when she was admitted to hospital, where she was nearly dead and in a coma. The current focus is on whether the officer’s assessed risk evaluation was based on complete information.
The inquest continues to review testimony from correctional services staff and medical personnel. It is investigating whether access to Kerrie Struhs’ full offending history might have changed the assessed risk classification. No ruling has yet been delivered on systemic implications.
What We Know — and What We Don’t
Verified by the source:
- Kerrie Struhs was assessed as posing no immediate risk to others by a correctional services officer.
- The assessment took place three weeks before Elizabeth Struhs’ manslaughter.
- The assessing officer did not have access to Kerrie Struhs’ past offending history.
- Kerrie Struhs’ prior offences included child neglect.
- Elizabeth Struhs died after being hospitalized in a coma and nearly dead from untreated type 1 diabetes.
Still unconfirmed:
- The names of the correctional services officer or officials involved in the assessment.
- Exact dates of the assessment and the fatal incident.
- Whether Kerrie Struhs had additional prior convictions beyond child neglect.
- Whether systemic changes will follow the inquest’s findings.
- The coroner’s final conclusions and potential recommendations.
Why It Matters
This case highlights concerns about information sharing and risk assessment procedures within correctional services. When officers conduct assessed risk evaluations without access to complete offending histories, the reliability of those judgments may be compromised. The inquest is testing whether procedural gaps contributed to a failure to prevent harm. These questions affect public confidence in how risk is managed and information is shared across agencies.
What To Watch
The Brisbane inquest is ongoing and has yet to deliver its final findings or recommendations regarding risk assessment protocols.
A Queensland correctional services officer assessed Kerrie Struhs as posing no immediate risk to others three weeks before Elizabeth Struhs’ manslaughter, a Brisbane inquest heard.