A Queensland religious sect leader, Brendan Stevens, has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for manslaughter following the tragic death of eight-year-old Elizabeth Struhs. Her father, Jason Struhs, received 14.5 years and her mother, Kerrie Struhs, over 15 years, with both required to serve a minimum of 80% before parole. The court found that their religious beliefs led to the neglect of Elizabeth's diabetes treatment, culminating in her death from diabetic ketoacidosis. Justice Burns emphasized their culpability in prioritizing faith over parental responsibility.
You put your own personal beliefs ahead of your duty and then staked the life of your eight-year-old child on it.
You allowed your faith to blind you to her real plight, Burns said to them.
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