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Twelve members of a religious group have been arrested over the death of an eight-year-old girl in Australia.
Elizabeth Struhs died on January 7 at a home south of Brisbane after not taking her insulin for nearly a week.
Earlier this year, her parents were accused of murder, torture and failure to provide the necessities of life.
According to the BBC, police said they will charge 12 other people, aged 19 to 64, over the girl’s death.
The group was aware of Elizabeth’s worsening condition but did not seek help, Queensland Police said in a statement.
Her parents, Jason and Kerrie Struhs, are members of a small religious group in the city of Toowoomba that is not affiliated with any mainstream church, according to local media.
Police allege the pair and others prayed for Elizabeth’s recovery after she became seriously ill.
Detective Chief Inspector Garry Watts said police were surprised by what they found, calling the investigation unprecedented.
“In my 40 years of policing, I have never faced a case like this,” he said.
“And I’m not aware of a similar event in Queensland, let alone Australia.”
At a fundraiser set up to support Elizabeth’s siblings, her older sister Jayde Struhs said her family was devastated and heartbroken.
“We have faced the brutal reality, the people who should have protected him have not taken care of him. We may never know the full extent of what happened.”she wrote.
She said her estranged parents were part of a cult “driven by fear and control” that drove the faith to its extremes.
The 12 people arrested on Tuesday are expected to appear in court on Wednesday. Jason and Kerrie Struhs are due back in court later in July.
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