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76-Year-Old Former Youth Leader Charged Over Sedative-Laced Sweets at Summer Camp

  • Jon Ruben, 76, from Ruddington, Nottinghamshire, faced charges of child cruelty at Leicester Magistrates' Court on August 2, concerning three boys attending a summer camp in Leicestershire.
  • The charges stem from an incident between July 25 and 29 when children at Stathern Lodge reportedly became ill after allegedly consuming sweets laced with sedatives.
  • Nine individuals, including eight boys between the ages of eight and eleven and one adult, were transported to the hospital as a precautionary measure and were all subsequently released; meanwhile, the village hall in Plungar served as a triage location.
  • Leicestershire Police arrested Ruben on Monday evening on suspicion of administering poison and have notified the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which will carry out an independent review of how the force managed the case.
  • Ruben has been held in custody and is scheduled to face Leicester Crown Court on August 29, as the investigation and legal process proceed amid concerns within the community.
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For several children in England it should be the most beautiful week of the summer: they go to a multi-day camp. Some of them and an adult, however, must end up in a clinic. They have probably become victims of poisoning. A suspect is now in custody.

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ITV broke the news in London, United Kingdom on Friday, August 1, 2025.
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