Nursery worker jailed for abuse of 21 babies in London case
Roksana Lecka, 22, admitted seven counts of cruelty and was convicted on 14 more for actions at two nurseries between October 2023 and June 2024.
A London nursery worker has been jailed for eight years for abusing 21 babies at two nurseries in southwest and west London.
Roksana Lecka, 22, of Hounslow, admitted seven counts of cruelty to a person under the age of 16 and was convicted after a trial of another 14 counts, Kingston Crown Court heard. She carried out the acts at Riverside Nursery in Twickenham, which has since closed, and Little Munchkins in Hounslow, over a nine-month period from October 2023 to June 2024.
The offences were discovered in June last year after Lecka was sent home from Riverside Nursery for pinching a number of children, prosecutors said. In court, Kingston Crown Court heard that the abuse was carried out in scenes described as gratuitous and sadistic.
Judge Sarah Plaschkes KC told Lecka: '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.'
Crown Prosecution Service prosecutors described how Lecka pinched several children dozens of times in a single day and, on one occasion, kicked a little boy in the face several times. They said the abuse occurred at two nurseries between October 2023 and June 2024, including Riverside in Twickenham and Little Munchkins in Hounslow.
Parents of the victims gave victim impact statements at Kingston Crown Court, describing heartbreak, guilt and distrust in the wake of the incidents.
The Riverside Nursery in Twickenham has since closed, and the court heard that the offences affected 21 children. Lecka was sentenced to eight years in prison.