UK police charge man after kids fell ill at summer camp
UK police on Friday charged a 76-year-old man with child cruelty offences after several children became unwell while attending a summer camp, in a case that captured national attention.
Police in Leicestershire, central England, charged John Ruben, from a village in the region, with three counts of wilful ill treatment of a child, following the events at the camp last weekend.
The charges relate to the treatment of three boys, according to Leicestershire Police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which authorises criminal charges in England and Wales.
Ruben is being held in custody and is set to appear at Leicester Magistrates' Court on Saturday.
It follows police receiving a report Sunday that children at the camp, being held in the village of Stathern, had fallen ill.
Officers responded to the scene the following day and eight children -- all boys aged between eight and 11 -- as well as an adult were taken to hospital as "a precaution", police said.
All have since been discharged.
"This has been an extremely upsetting and shocking moment for the community, and especially for the children and parents most directly affected," Janine McKinney, the chief prosecutor for the region, said in a statement.
"We would like to remind all concerned that there are now active criminal proceedings... and he (Ruben) has the right to a fair trial," McKinney added, cautioning people against speculating about the case.
Leicestershire Police have referred themselves to a police complaints watchdog over their initial handling of the incident.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct has said it will assess whether there were "any breaches of professional behaviour... that resulted in a delay in Leicestershire Police's response to what was later declared a critical incident".
Also Read:
