As pensioner Jon Ruben, 76, is remanded in custody on child cruelty charges after the camp ‘poisoning’ in Leicestershire this week, we take a look at the symptoms of poisoning and when you should seek help
OAP Jon Ruben, 76, appeared in Leicester Magistrates’ Court this morning after being charged in connection to a suspected poisoning at a children’s Christian summer camp in Stathern.
The pensioner has been charged with child cruelty offences after eight children and one adult were rushed to hospital earlier this week. They all became ill after allegedly eating sweets laced with sedatives and have all now been discharged.
Ruben, who will appear at Leicester Crown Court on August 29, gave no indication whether he will plead guilty or not guilty. It comes as eyewitnesses told how children involved in the alleged poisoning were separated from their parents “for hours” by investigators.
A triage centre was set up at a village hall in nearby Plungar, where concerned parents were told to wait, which left many frustrated and saw some “screaming” at officers, demanding to see their loved ones.
A man who lives on the street where the triage took place said, “I saw maybe one girl with her dad. She had her toy with her. They were waiting around a lot. It was a bit surreal I guess, a bit odd because it’s quite quiet around here.
“The parents couldn’t get any access to the kids, that was the weird thing, just been told they weren’t allowed in basically. I felt for them.”
June Grant, 83, former bookings secretary at the village hall, said: “I live near the village hall and there were so many sirens. You could hear the ambulances and police cars whizzing around the village. It was pretty scary but such good news that the children are ok.”
Another resident, who lives near the hall, said: “It was pretty chaotic with emergency workers running around everywhere. I saw a few children in tears as they walked into the hall. It’s like every parent’s worst nightmare dropping your child at summer camp and then being told they might have been poisoned.”
Poisoning doesn’t have to be deliberate -it can happen if you swallow, touch, or breathe in substances that can be harmful, such as chemicals or medicines. The NHS says you should get medical advice immediately if you think you or someone else has been poisoned.
“Symptoms may take a few hours or days to start, so it’s important to get medical advice quickly if there’s a chance you or someone else could have poisoning,” the advice on its website says.
Symptoms of poisoning can depend on what’s causing it, and may include:
- feeling sick or being sick
- diarrhoea
- feeling sleepy
- blurred vision
- high temperature
- confusion
- difficulty breathing
- seizures (fits)
- loss of consciousness
The NHS adds that you’ll need to be treated in hospital for poisoning because it can be life-threatening.
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