A tragic case of child neglect has concluded with the sentencing of Ruth Auta, a 28-year-old Nigerian nurse working in the United Kingdom. Auta has been given a three-year prison term for the neglect of her ten-week-old son, Joshua Akerele, who died while she was at work.
The incident occurred on December 20, 2022, when Auta, a single mother employed at Royal Bolton Hospital, left her infant son alone in her nurse’s accommodation for eight hours while she completed her shift. Upon returning, she found Joshua unresponsive in his cot and immediately called emergency services. Despite resuscitation efforts, the infant was pronounced dead an hour after the ambulance arrived.
Post-mortem tests suggested that Joshua may have overheated due to excessive layers of clothing and bedding.
Auta was subsequently charged with cruelty to a child. She entered a guilty plea at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on May 24, 2024, with sentencing delayed by a month. In a concerning turn of events, Auta attempted to flee the country on June 6, when she was apprehended at Gatwick Airport with a one-way ticket to Nigeria.
The investigation revealed discrepancies in Auta’s initial statements to the police. She had claimed to have collected Joshua from a childminder, fed him, and then fallen asleep with him on her bed, only to find him unresponsive upon waking. However, CCTV footage showed Auta leaving and returning to her accommodation without Joshua, and incriminating text messages revealed her instructions to the childminder to provide false information about caring for Joshua that day. The childminder later confirmed not having seen the baby for several days.
Sara Davie, District Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West, delivered a stern statement: “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.”
