Nursery worker jailed over abuse of 21 babies

A 22-year-old nursery worker has been jailed for eight years for multiple counts of child cruelty after abusing 21 babies.

Roksana Lecka, from Hounslow, west London, admitted seven counts of cruelty to a person under the age of 16 and was convicted after a trial of another 14 counts over her "gratuitous" and "sadistic" actions at two nurseries. She was found not guilty of three counts of child cruelty.

Her crimes were discovered in June last year after she was sent home for pinching a number of children at Riverside Nursery in Twickenham, south-west London.

Parents of Lecka's victims told of their feelings of heartbreak, guilt and distrust in victim impact statements at Kingston Crown Court.

Judge Sarah Plaschkes KC told the defendant: "You committed multiple acts of gratuitous violence.

"You pinched, slapped, punched, smacked and kicked them. You pulled their ears, hair and their toes. You toppled children head first into cots. You caused bruising and lingering red marks.

"When you committed these acts of cruelty you would look at the other members of staff to make sure that they were not watching you.

"Often the child would be quietly and happily minding their own business before you deliberately inflicted pain causing the child to cry, arch, try to get away or writhe around in distress."

Lecka admitted seven counts of cruelty and was found guilty of another 14

Lacka pinched several children dozens of times in the course of one day, causing them to cry and flinch away from her, the Crown Prosecution Service previously said.

On one occasion she kicked a little boy in the face several times. She was also seen to push babies head first over cots and cover a toddler's mouth when they started to cry.

Police said she had abused children at two nurseries between October 2023 and June 2024 - one of the counts related to Little Munchkins in Hounslow, with the remainder linked to the Riverside Nursery in Twickenham, which has since closed.

'Totally helpless'

A number of parents took to the stand on Friday to address a packed court over the impact of Lecka's abuse.

One mother looked directly at Lecka as she said: "These children were so innocent and vulnerable.

"They couldn't speak, they couldn't defend themselves and they couldn't tell us as parents that something had happened to them.

"They were totally helpless and Roksana preyed upon them."

'Threat to society'

Another mother, referencing the CCTV footage, said: "This really highlighted how defenceless all the children were and how sickening Roksana's crimes were to target such young babies."

A different mother said: "I think Roksana is a huge threat to society.

"It is objectively shocking that she has been hiding in plain sight in society up until she was arrested. I think all of us can agree that only the worst kind of human would assault vulnerable babies."

Parents detailed the guilt they feel about placing their children in Lecka's care, with one mother, whose son the defendant kicked in the face, telling the court: "We weren't there to protect them."

The court heard one family has moved away from London altogether, while other sets of parents have suffered breakdowns in their relationship after Lecka's actions.

Lecka worked at the Riverside nursery in Twickenham

Arlette Piercy, representing Lecka, said her client had expressed remorse and cited her previous good character and young age in mitigation.

The court heard Lecka wrote a letter to the court saying she had reflected on her actions, wanted to apologise to parents and that cannabis turned her into a different person.

Ms Piercy told the court that Lecka had been attacked in custody, describing her experience in prison as having been "extremely challenging", and said she had spent time in the vulnerable prison wing.

Lecka worked at Riverside Nursery between January and June 2024, with a number of parents reporting unusual injuries and bruising in March and May that year.

The court heard she was addicted to cannabis and vaping around that time, which she did not tell the nursery.

Det Insp Sian Hutchings, from the Met Police, said: "Today's sentencing concludes a complex and emotional investigation.

"The victims in this case are just babies, with the youngest being just 10 months at the time of the offences."

She said officers investigating Lecka's actions were shocked by "Roksana's lack of accountability and her inability to explain her unjustifiable actions".

"I want to commend the strength of the parents throughout this investigation. I can't imagine how horrendous it's been to sit in court and listen to the abuse that Lecka inflicted on their children," Det Insp Hutchings added.

'Serious questions remain'

Jemma Till, a lawyer representing families, said: "Those parents we're supporting remain devastated by the ordeal their children have been put through by Lecka. She abused her position of trust in the cruellest way over a number of months."

She said that while families welcomed Lecka's sentence, "serious questions remain as to how Lecka's abuse was allowed to go unchecked for several months".

"Our focus is now on securing families, who will continue to be affected by Lecka's actions for years to come, with the further answers they deserve," she added.