A 76-year-old pensioner has appeared in court over allegations of giving sedative-laced sweets to children at a summer camp in Leicestershire. Jon Ruben, secretary of the charity that ran Stathern Lodge, is charged with three counts of wilfully assaulting, ill-treating, neglecting, abandoning, or exposing children in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to health between July 25 and 29. The charges relate to sweets allegedly laced with sedatives. Eight boys aged between eight and 11, along with one adult, were taken to hospital after falling ill at the camp. Ruben was arrested in a pub car park and appeared at Leicester Crown Court. He was not required to enter a plea, and a provisional trial date was set for January 27 next year. He has been remanded into custody ahead of a hearing on November 14. A witness described the scene as chaotic, saying, It was pretty chaotic, with emergency workers running around everywhere. I saw a few children in tears as they walked into the hall. Its like every parents worst nightmare. Parents reportedly struggled to see their children for hours as they were taken to a makeshift triage centre, with some screaming at officers demanding access. Leicestershire Police have referred themselves to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which has launched an investigation. Officers admitted they received reports on July 27 that children were feeling unwell but did not visit the camp until the following day. Stathern Lodge is owned by the Braithwaite Gospel Trust, a Christian charity providing holiday clubs.
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