An unidentified 76-year-old male has been arrested for poisoning children at a summer camp in the UK.
The Sun reports that police are attending a “critical incident” in Stathern, Leicestershire, where a pensioner was arrested for “administering poison.”
Paramedics have transported at least eight of the children to the hospital, and an emergency center has been set up at a nearby village hall to treat other children who have shown symptoms of poisoning.
Leicestershire police have revealed they have taken a 76-year-old male into custody on suspicion of administering poison/a noxious thing with intent to injure/aggrieve/annoy.
Inquiries are ongoing as both detectives and uniformed cops patrol the scene.
A spokesperson for the force said, “The investigation is now being led by the East Midlands Special Operations Unit’s Major Incident Team (MIT).
“This is to allow a full and thorough investigation to take place with dedicated resources.
“Both detectives and uniformed officers from the Melton and Rutland Neighbourhood Policing Area (NPA) remain in Stathern today carrying out further inquiries and to establish the circumstances of the incident as well as providing reassurance to families affected, as well as the local community.”
Detective Inspector Neil Holden, the senior investigating officer, added: “We understand the concern this incident will have caused to parents, guardians, and the surrounding community.
“We are in contact with the parents and guardians of all children concerned.
“Please be reassured that we have several dedicated resources deployed and are working with partner agencies, including children’s services, to ensure full safeguarding is provided to the children involved.
“We also remain at the scene to carry out enquiries into the circumstances of what has happened and to continue to provide advice and support in the area.
“This is a complex and sensitive investigation, and we will continue to provide updates to both parents and guardians and the public as and when we can.”
An IOPC spokesperson said: “We received a conduct referral on Tuesday (July 29) from Leicestershire Police relating to their handling of concerns passed to them over the wellbeing of a group of children.
“Our assessment team has examined all available evidence and concluded the matter should be independently investigated by the IOPC.
“The investigation will look at whether there were any breaches of professional behavior – namely a failure to carry out duties and responsibilities – that resulted in a delay in Leicestershire Police’s response to what was later declared a critical incident.”
Cases of suspected poisoning are thankfully rare. However, late last year, Brazilian woman Deise Moura dos Anjos was charged with killing three family members with a poisoned Christmas cake.
Despite the charges of murder by poison and the police believing her to be a possible serial killer, the 42-year-old insisted she was innocent.
Deise was found dead in her cell in Guaiba’s all-woman prison this February.
Jefferson Luiz Moraes’ wife of 32 years and two other family members were killed by the poisoned Christmas cake. He remembers the day vividly, and how the discovery that arsenic had been in the cake had left him terrified.
He explained, “When I ate it, I also sensed a bad taste, but because the cake had sugar on top, it hid [the bad taste] a little bit.”
Jefferson added: “Neuza ate the cake, and then was going to eat again, and [someone] said ‘don’t eat it because it’s not good.
“After that, Zeli went across the corridor to vomit. It was three or four minutes, no more than that. After that, Zeli passed out.”
