A nursery employee who carried out months of abuse against young children in her care has been sentenced to eight years in prison after a judge condemned her treatment of the victims as “cruel in the extreme.”
Roksana Lecka, 22, from Hounslow, was convicted of 21 offences of child cruelty at Kingston Crown Court.
The crimes were committed in 2024 while she was working at the Riverside Nursery in Twickenham, an establishment that has since closed. She admitted to seven charges, and a jury later found her guilty on 14 further counts.
Shocking Behaviour Caught on Camera
The investigation began after families noticed unexplained bruises on their children earlier in the year. When detectives reviewed CCTV from inside the nursery, they uncovered repeated assaults.
The footage showed Lecka pinching children under their clothing, leaving marks on their arms and stomachs, and covering a boy’s mouth to silence his cries. On another occasion, she was filmed vaping at work before violently pinching an infant she had just lifted from her crib.
Other clips revealed her kicking a youngster lying on the floor, forcing toddlers over cots, and shoving another child roughly onto a mattress. Parents in the courtroom audibly reacted when presented with this evidence, many for the first time.
Investigation and Court Findings
Detective Inspector Sian Hutchings, who led the inquiry, said Lecka gave “no comment” answers during questioning and appeared indifferent to the allegations. One of the charges involved an incident at a different facility, Little Munchkins nursery in Hounslow.
The court found her conduct to be deliberate and prolonged, with what prosecutors said amounted to “systematic cruelty.”
Impact on Families
Families affected say they are struggling to rebuild trust in childcare. One parent said through their lawyer: “Although we are relieved that she can no longer harm children, the damage she caused has made it extremely difficult for us to let our child out of our sight.”
Irwin Mitchell solicitor Jemma Till, acting for several parents, said: “There are serious questions about why this behaviour was allowed to continue for months. These children were failed, and their families deserve accountability.”
Prosecutors’ Condemnation
The Crown Prosecution Service labelled Lecka’s behaviour an appalling betrayal of her role. CPS lawyer Gemma Burns said: “No parent should ever fear leaving their children with professionals. The scale of cruelty in this case is staggering.”
The Riverside Nursery has now permanently closed, and the case has sparked wider concern about safeguarding in early years childcare across the UK.
