Pensioner, 76, charged with ‘child cruelty offences’ after eight kids & adult ‘poisoned’ at summer camp

Published on August 01, 2025 at 05:14 PM

A PENSIONER has been charged with “child cruelty offences” at a summer camp after eight kids and one adult were rushed to hospital.

The victims were enjoying the summer holidays at Stathern Lodge in Leicestershire when they reported feeling ill.

Portrait of Jon.
Jonathon Ruben, 76, was arrested by cops and has now been charged with child cruelty offences
Aerial view of police vehicles and officers outside Stathern Lodge following a poisoning incident.
Eight children and one adult were taken to hospital while at a summer camp
Police officers at a summer camp following a suspected poisoning.
Cops at the scene in Leicestershire

Police arrested Jonathon Ruben, 76, following the horror on Sunday and he has now been charged.

The pensioner was charged with three offences of “wilful ill treatment of a child” relating to three separate boys.

Ruben, of Landmere Lane, Ruddington, Nottingham, has been remanded into custody and will appear at Leicester Magistrates’ Court tomorrow.

Officers and the East Midlands Ambulance Service – including an air ambulance – quickly swarmed the Christian camp after concerned calls came in.

A total of eight children – who were all boys aged between eight and 11 – were taken to hospital as a precaution and later discharged.

One adult was also taken to hospital as a precaution and was also discharged, said cops.

Janine McKinney, Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS East Midlands, said: “The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised the prosecution of a 76-year-old man with child cruelty offences following a police investigation into a summer camp held at Stathern Lodge, Leicestershire.

“This decision has been made after reviewing a file of evidence from Leicestershire Police.

“Jonathon Ruben, will be charged with three offences of wilful ill treatment of a child relating to three boys. He will appear at Leicester Magistrates’ Court on Saturday, 1 August.

“This has been an extremely upsetting and shocking moment for the community, and especially for the children and parents most directly affected.

“We would like to remind all concerned that there are now active criminal proceedings against Mr Ruben, and he has the right to a fair trial.

“There must be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online that may in any way prejudice these proceedings.”

“Distressed” parents were reportedly unable to see their kids “for hours” as they were taken to a makeshift triage centre nearby.

One witness reported seeing parents “screaming” at officers as they demanded to see their kids.

A resident who lives near the hall said: “It was pretty chaotic, with emergency workers running around everywhere.

“I saw a few children in tears as they walked into the hall. It’s like every parent’s worst nightmare, dropping your child at summer camp and then being told they might have been poisoned.”

Leicester Police has now referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), who have launched a probe.

It comes as officers admitted it received a report on Sunday of children feeling unwell but did not visit the camp until Monday.

The lodge is owned by Christian charity the Braithwaite Gospel Trust, which provides holiday clubs.

An IOPC spokesperson said: “We received a conduct referral on Tuesday (July 29) from Leicestershire Police relating to their handling of concerns passed to them over the wellbeing of a group of children.

“Our assessment team has examined all available evidence and concluded the matter should be independently investigated by the IOPC.

“The investigation will look at whether there were any breaches of professional behaviour – namely a failure to carry out duties and responsibilities – that resulted in a delay in Leicestershire Police’s response to what was later declared a critical incident.”

Assistant-chief-constable-james-avery-1013585211-9867f9
Assistant Chief Constable James Avery speaks during a press conference at the scene
Aerial view of a scene in Stathern, Leicestershire, following a poisoning incident at a summer camp.
Police have charged a pensioner with murder
Aerial view of a crime scene in Stathern, Leicestershire.
The horror unfolded on Sunday

Prev Article

We flew to Rome & it cost LESS than dinner out in the UK, we saw the Trevi Fountain & Colosseum then went to our own bed

Next Article

Working for Tesco saved my football career – I’ve gone from doing click and collect at 5am to League Two stalwart

Related to this topic:

Comments (0):

Be the first to write a comment.

Post Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

GDPR Compliance

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies, Privacy Policy, and Terms of Service.

Search

Newsletter image

Subscribe to the Newsletter

Join 10k+ people to get notified about new posts, news and tips.

Do not worry we don't spam!