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.
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.”
Metropolitan PoliceLacka 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.