A 76-year-old man has appeared in court on charges of child cruelty following an incident at a summer camp in Leicestershire, where several children and one adult were hospitalized earlier this week.
Jon Ruben, of Wayte Court, Ruddington, Nottinghamshire, was arrested after eight boys aged between eight and eleven, along with an adult, became unwell at a camp held at Stathern Lodge, Stathern. All nine individuals were taken to hospital on Monday and have since been discharged, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
Leicestershire Police confirmed that Ruben has been charged with three counts of wilful ill-treatment of a child. The charges relate to incidents involving three boys and allegedly occurred between July 25 and July 29.
Ruben appeared at Leicester Magistrates’ Court on Saturday wearing a grey tracksuit. During the brief hearing, he did not enter a plea to the charges. He was remanded in custody and is scheduled to appear at Leicester Crown Court on August 29.
Police said they first received reports of children falling ill at the summer camp on Sunday. While the exact cause of the illnesses has not been confirmed, the children and adult were taken to hospital as a precaution.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has launched an investigation into how Leicestershire Police handled the case.
As the investigation continues, authorities have not released further details about the circumstances surrounding the alleged mistreatment.
