‘We followed the Bible’

A MAN accused of actively encouraging the parents of a diabetic Toowoomba girl to stop giving her medicine, which allegedly resulted in her death, has sensationally told a court he believed he did nothing wrong as he and other members of their alleged religious fellowship followed the word of the Bible.

Lachlan Stuart Schoenfisch appeared in Toowoomba Magistrates Court via video link on Wednesday where he was committed to stand trial for the murder of eight-year-old girl Elizabeth Rose Struhs.

Police allege the girl died on January 7, 2022 in her parent’s Rangeville home after her mother and father, Jason and Kerrie Struhs, allegedly began to withhold her life saving insulin medication.

The court was told Mr Schoenfisch was accused of being a member of a religious “fellowship” that allegedly actively encouraged the couple to make the decision to stop providing Elizabeth with insulin, which resulted in her death.

In the part-heard committal hearing, magistrate Louise Shephard told the court that according to Mr Schoenfisch’s record of interview he provided to police in the days after Elizabeth’s death, he and 13 other people, including the girl’s parents and members of the Stevens and Schoenfisch families, were members of a religious group that believed in the healing power of prayer, and shunned medical intervention.

According to the record of interview, Mr Schoenfisch was baptised into the group in August 2021, and described to police Elizabeth’s diabetes, which she was diagnosed with in 2019, as an “elephant in the room”.

The court was told the group believed that if Elizabeth didn’t take the insulin the “physical body” might die.

Police allege that Mr Schoenfisch actively encouraged Elizabeth’s parents to withhold the insulin through song and prayer and that it was a “step of faith”.

The court was told three days later the girl was dead, and when police asked why Mr Schoenfisch allegedly watched her die the court was told her “eternal life was more important”.

Ms Shephard said based on the evidence provided to the court she was satisfied there was enough evidence for Mr Schoenfisch to stand trial on the charge of murder based on his alleged encouragement of Elizabeths’ parents to remain “steadfast” in their decision to withhold the insulin.

When asked if he had anything to tell the court, Mr Schoenfisch said it was his belief that he and the fellowship did not act in a “reckless or indifferent” manner, and that they followed their religious beliefs.

“We followed the Bible, which doesn't say anything about calling doctors,” he said.

“(The Bible) says pray, lay hands on the sick and the prayer of faith will save the sick. So we did as far as the Bible’s concerned, everything.”

“We never at any point believed or did believe or still do believe that Elizabeth would die or that she is dead, that is not what we believe. Even now we believe that Elizabeth will rise again in this life.”

After Mr Schoenfisch entered a plea of not guilty, Ms Shephard adjourned the matter to trial in Toowoomba Supreme Court on a future date.