Ruth Auta, a 28-year-old Nigerian nurse working in the United Kingdom, has been sentenced to three years in prison for child negligence following the death of her 10-week-old son, Joshua Akerele. The case gained widespread attention after it was revealed that Auta left her infant unattended for eight hours while she worked a shift at the Royal Bolton Hospital on December 20, 2022.
When Auta returned to her accommodation, she found her baby unresponsive. Despite swift emergency response and resuscitation attempts, Joshua was pronounced dead an hour later. An autopsy suggested that the infant may have overheated due to being dressed in excessive clothing and heavy bedding, contributing to his death.
Auta was charged with child cruelty after inconsistencies in her story came to light. Initially, she claimed she had picked up her son from a childminder and found him unresponsive after they fell asleep together. However, CCTV footage and text messages contradicted this, showing Auta had left and returned without her child and had asked the childminder to lie about caring for Joshua that day.
Further complicating the case, Auta attempted to flee the UK in June 2024, just before her trial, but was arrested at Gatwick Airport with a one-way ticket to Nigeria.
District Crown Prosecutor Sara Davie highlighted Auta’s breach of trust and failure to provide necessary care, stating, “As a nurse, Ruth Auta should have been aware of the dangers of leaving her child unattended.” Auta’s lack of remorse and attempt to evade justice were also noted as aggravating factors in her sentencing.
