76-Year-Old Charged After Sedative-Laced Sweets Sickens Boys at UK Camp

Jon Ruben, a 76-year-old man and former veterinary surgeon, has been charged with child cruelty after allegedly giving sweets laced with sedatives to boys at a summer camp in Leicestershire, England. The incident took place at Stathern Lodge, where eight boys aged 8 to 11 and one adult were hospitalized as a precaution but have since been discharged. Ruben faces three counts related to the willful ill-treatment of three children at the camp between July 25 and 29, and he appeared in Leicester Magistrates’ Court, where he was remanded in custody ahead of a hearing on August 29. Police clarified that the lodge's owners are independent from those who hired the venue and are not connected to the incident. The matter was reported by Ruben's stepson, and the investigation is being handled by a major incident team, with police referring themselves to the Independent Office for Police Conduct concerning the timing of their response. Ruben has not entered a plea, and prosecutors indicated the case is complex and may involve further charges.