Nigerian Nurse Convicted of Negligence After Leaving Her Son Unattended to Go to Work, Resulting in His Death
A Nigerian nurse, Ruth Auta, has been sentenced to three years in prison after leaving her 10-week-old son, Joshua Akerele, home alone for more than eight hours while she went to work. The tragic incident occurred on 20 December 2022 when Auta, 28, left her son at her nurses’ accommodation at the Royal Bolton Hospital shortly after 6:30 AM, returning in the afternoon only to find him unresponsive.
Auta called an ambulance at 15:24, but despite resuscitation attempts, Joshua was pronounced dead by 16:40. Although no conclusive cause of death was established, the court heard that the baby may have overheated due to the layers of clothing and bedding he had been wrapped in.
The case took a darker turn when it was revealed that Auta had lied to police, claiming she had picked up her baby from a childminder after her shift. CCTV footage, however, showed she had left her accommodation without him. Investigators also discovered messages in which Auta asked the childminder to lie about having cared for Joshua that day. Auta even attempted to flee the UK after pleading guilty to child cruelty, only to be arrested at Gatwick Airport while trying to board a one-way flight to Nigeria.
This heartbreaking case sheds light on broader issues faced by international nurses, especially from Africa. Many are misled by unrealistic portrayals of life abroad shared on social media, with insufficient discussion about the real challenges and responsibilities of living and working in the UK. This lack of preparedness can lead to poor decision-making and, as in this tragic instance, devastating consequences.
