14 members of a religious organization who are accused of murdering an eight-year-old girl continue to be detained and to forego seeking legal counsel.
For a case review, the six men and eight women came before the Brisbane Supreme Court on Friday.
Elizabeth Struhs allegedly had her diabetic medicine withheld for six days by her parents and 12 other people on January 7 of last year at the family home in Toowoomba, which is west of Brisbane.
Instead, according to cops, they prayed with her and kept quiet as the girl’s condition worsened.
On January 8, Elizabeth’s body was discovered inside the Rangeville house.
During a prior court appearance, her father Jason Richard Struhs, 51, and Brendan Luke Stevens, 61, were indicted on a charge of murder.
The other 12 were charged with manslaughter, along with the child’s 48-year-old mother Kerrie Elizabeth Struhs.
The other defendants are Keita Courtney Martin, Lachlan Stuart Schoenfisch, Samantha Emily Schoenfisch, Acacia Naree Stevens, Therese Maria Stevens, Andrea Louise Stevens, Zachary Alan Struhs, Loretta Mary Stevens, Acacia Naree Stevens, Camellia Claire Stevens, Alexander Francis Stevens, and Sebastian James Stevens.
The youngest person is 20 while the oldest person is 66.
On Friday, the men sat alongside officers from the corrective services while the men sat with the women in the dock.
Following the court procedures, they talked to one another, the majority grinning and seeming to be in a good mood.
Some huskily responded “no,” while others shook their heads in answer to appointed trial judge Justice Martin Burns’ inquiries about if the accused intended to request bail or legal representation.
Justice Burns said that another judge had already talked in-depth about their rights.
He requested that each defendant get a one-page paper from the crown prosecutor Todd Fuller KC that had contact information for Legal Aid, the court, and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Although they have provided the group with a summary of the allegations, the prosecution is compelled to reveal all the evidence it plans to use against the defendants in court.
Justice Burns instructed Mr. Fuller, “We need to get to the point where full disclosure has been made as quickly as possible.”
In order for the group to be able to speak with one another and get ready for the trial, corrective services have been requested.
Jason Struhs responded: “I can tell Your Honor… ” when Justice Burns inquired how long the suspect had been detained. I’ve been detained for almost 16 months and two days.
While the others have been in jail since July of last year, his wife was detained on the same day.
Justice Burns remarked, “We have to go as rapidly as we can, Mr. Fuller.
Later, he added, it would be decided whether the trial would take place in Brisbane or Toowoomba and whether a jury or a judge alone would hear the case.
On June 16, there will likely be another case review.
