Brendan Luke Stevens, the leader of a faith-healing group accused of murdering an 8-year-old diabetic girl, has strongly denied the allegations, claiming they were “fabricated” by police. He asserts that the authorities were wrongfully labeling an “innocent death” as murder.
In a tense interview played in the Brisbane Supreme Court, Stevens, 62, was questioned about the death of Elizabeth Struhs in early 2022. The girl died at her family’s home in Rangeville after her insulin was withdrawn, an act her parents, Jason and Kerrie Struhs, allegedly carried out as part of their faith in God.
During the interview, Stevens, who is the leader of a religious sect called “The Saints,” grew combative, claiming the charges against him were unjust. He told police that they were making an innocent death appear as a crime.
Stevens also made unsettling comments during a previous conversation with officers, asserting that he understood their motives, which he called “evil” and “unrighteous.”
Stevens, along with 13 others, is standing trial for the death of Elizabeth Struhs. The Crown alleges that the child’s death resulted from her parents’ decision to stop her insulin treatment as a test of their faith.