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Elderly Individual, Age 76, Accused of 'Child Abuse Offenses' Following Alleged Poisoning Incident Involving Nine Individuals at a Summer Camp

Elderly Individual Accused of "Child Abuse Crimes" at a Summer Camp Following Incident Resulting in Hospitalization of Nine Individuals, Including One Adult.

Elderly Individual, Age 76, Accused of 'Child Abuse Crimes' Following Incident at Summer Camp...
Elderly Individual, Age 76, Accused of 'Child Abuse Crimes' Following Incident at Summer Camp Involving Poisoning of Nine Individuals, Including Children and an Adult

Elderly Individual, Age 76, Accused of 'Child Abuse Offenses' Following Alleged Poisoning Incident Involving Nine Individuals at a Summer Camp

Jonathon Ruben, a 76-year-old man, is set to appear at Leicester Magistrates' Court today, August 1, 2025, in connection with three counts of wilful ill treatment of children at a summer camp in Leicestershire.

The charges follow an incident at Stathern Lodge, near Melton, where eight children aged between eight and eleven, along with an adult, fell ill. All affected individuals were taken to hospital as a precaution and have since been discharged.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has authorized the prosecution after reviewing evidence from Leicestershire Police, who describe the incident as "extremely upsetting and shocking."

Leicestershire Police have emphasized that the owners and operators of Stathern Lodge are not connected to the incident. They have also referred themselves to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) for investigation, as the probe will look into whether there were any breaches of professional behavior that resulted in a delay in their response to the critical incident.

Ruben has been remanded into custody and will appear at the court tomorrow. The Braithwaite Gospel Trust, which provides holiday clubs, owns the lodge where the incident occurred.

Witnesses report scenes of distressed parents demanding to see their kids, as they were taken to a makeshift triage centre. Officers and the East Midlands Ambulance Service, including an air ambulance, responded to the incident.

The IOPC has launched an investigation into Leicester Police's handling of concerns passed to them over the wellbeing of the children. Ruben has been charged with "child cruelty offences" and will face prosecution for these charges.

[1] Source: Leicestershire Police press release [2] Source: CPS East Midlands press release [3] Source: Leicester Magistrates' Court schedule [4] Source: The Braithwaite Gospel Trust statement

  1. Despite the Braithwaite Gospel Trust, the owners of Stathern Lodge, not being linked to the incident, Leicestershire Police have referred themselves to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) for investigation, due to questions about their response time to the critical event.
  2. In addition to the ongoing police investigation, Jonathon Ruben, who is due to appear at Leicester Magistrates' Court today, faces prosecution for "child cruelty offenses" arising from the general-news event at Stathern Lodge, which also saw reports of crime-and-justice-related incidents such as distressed parents and the involvement of emergency services.

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