In a deeply saddening case, 28-year-old Nigerian nurse, Ruth Auta, has been sentenced to three years in prison by a UK court for child cruelty after the death of her 10-week-old baby.

Ruth Auta, a single mother, who worked at Royal Bolton Hospital, was convicted after leaving her infant alone in her apartment for eight hours while she went on a work shift.

The incident occurred when Ruth Auta, overwhelmed with the responsibilities of motherhood and work, decided to leave her baby unattended in her flat. Upon returning home after her shift, she tragically found her child lifeless in his cot. Investigations revealed that the baby likely died from overheating, wrapped in excessive clothing and bedding during the hours Auta was away.

Ruth Auta initially lied to the police, claiming that she had left the child with a nanny and retrieved him after her shift. She further fabricated that she had fed him and slept beside him, only to wake up to find him unresponsive. However, CCTV footage from her apartment building exposed the lie, showing her leaving and returning home without the baby in tow. Additionally, incriminating text messages revealed that she had attempted to persuade the nanny to cover up the truth.

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The nanny later admitted to investigators that she had not seen the baby in days, confirming Auta’s deceit. After the evidence against her piled up, Auta pleaded guilty at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on May 24, 2024. The sentencing was delayed for a month, but Auta attempted to flee the country before her punishment was announced. She was arrested on June 6 at Gatwick Airport with a one-way ticket to Nigeria, in an apparent attempt to escape justice.

With her sentencing, Ruth Auta is likely to lose her nursing license, effectively ending her career as a healthcare professional.