Ruth Auta, a Nigerian nurse working in the United Kingdom, has been sentenced to three years in prison for neglecting her 10-week-old baby, Joshua Akerele, who tragically died while she was at work.
According to the Daily Mail, Auta, 28, left Joshua alone in her nurse’s accommodation for eight hours on December 20, 2022, while she completed her shift.
Upon returning, she found her baby unresponsive in his cot and called 999.
Despite resuscitation attempts, Joshua passed away an hour after the ambulance arrived. Investigations revealed that he may have overheated due to excessive layers of clothing and bedding.
Auta, employed at Royal Bolton Hospital, was charged with child cruelty.
She pleaded guilty at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on May 24, 2024, though her sentencing was postponed by a month.
On June 6, Auta was detained at Gatwick Airport while trying to board a flight to Nigeria with a one-way ticket.
She initially claimed she had collected Joshua from a childminder, fed him, and fell asleep with him on her bed, only to find him unresponsive later.
However, CCTV footage and text messages contradicted her story, showing she left and returned to her accommodation without Joshua. The childminder confirmed she had not seen the baby for several days.
District Crown Prosecutor Sara Davie remarked, “Ruth Auta failed to provide the necessary care for her baby and chose to leave him unattended.
As a nurse, she should have been aware of the dangers of leaving her child alone. Her attempts to evade justice further demonstrate her lack of remorse.”
