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A 28-year-old Nigerian nurse in the United Kingdom, Ruth Auta has been jailed for three years in prison for neglecting her 10-week-old infant, Joshua, who died while she was at work.
Daily Mail reports that the 28-year-old single mother left Joshua alone in her 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.
Despite resuscitation efforts by paramedics, Joshua was pronounced dead an hour after their arrival.
Medical tests suggested that the baby may have overheated due to excessive layers of clothing and bedding.
She was subsequently charged with cruelty to a child and pleaded guilty at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on May 24, 2024.
During in investigation, it was disclosed that Auta had lied about the circumstances surrounding Joshua’s death.
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Although, she initially told authorities that she had fed the baby and then fell asleep with him, CCTV footage showed Auta leaving and returning to her accommodation without Joshua, contradicting her story.
Further incriminating evidence came from text messages in which Auta instructed her childminder to falsely claim that she had been caring for Joshua on the day of the incident. The childminder later confirmed she had not seen the baby for several days.
On June 6, 2024, Auta was arrested at Gatwick Airport while attempting to board a flight to Nigeria with a one-way ticket, further raising suspicions about her attempts to escape justice.
In her ruling, District Crown Prosecutor Sara Davie of CPS North West condemned Auta’s actions, stating, “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.”
