Ruth Auta, a Nigerian nurse in the United Kingdom, has been sentenced to three years in prison for neglecting her 10-week-old infant, Joshua, who died while she was at work.
According to the Daily Mail, the 28-year-old single mother left Joshua alone in her nurse’s apartment for eight hours on December 20, 2022, to finish her shift.
When she returned, she saw her son lifeless in his cot and quickly dialled 999, reporting that he was not breathing.
The infant died an hour after the ambulance arrived, despite resuscitation efforts.
Tests found that he may have overheated due to numerous layers of clothing and bedding.
The report also stated that Auta, who worked at the Royal Bolton Hospital, had been charged with child maltreatment.
She pleaded guilty in Manchester Magistrates’ Court on May 24, 2024, and her sentencing was postponed for a month.
On June 6, while attempting to board an aircraft to Nigeria, she was arrested at Gatwick Airport using a one-way ticket.
She had informed the authorities that she had picked up Joshua from a childminder, fed him, and then fallen asleep with him on her bed.
She claimed to have discovered him motionless upon waking. However, CCTV evidence and incriminating text exchanges contradicted her account.
The video showed Auta leaving and returning to her flat without Joshua, and texts proved that she had directed her childminder to falsely claim she was caring for Joshua that day.
The childminder then acknowledged that she had not seen the baby in several days.
In her decision, District Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West Sara Davie noted, “Ruth Auta failed to provide the care her baby needed and chose to leave him alone.
“As a nurse, she should have been aware of the dangers of leaving her child unattended. Her attempts to evade justice further demonstrate her lack of remorse.”
