Nursery worker jailed for 8 years for abusing 21 babies in her care
The 22 year old admitted seven counts of cruelty and was convicted of 14 others
Last updated 26th Sep 2025
A 22-year-old nursery worker who abused 21 babies at a nursery in Twickenham - including kicking a boy in the face - has been jailed for eight years.
Roksana Lecka, from Hounslow, west London, admitted seven counts of cruelty to a person under the age of 16 and was convicted of another 14 counts by a jury at Kingston Crown Court in June.
Parents of her victim have condemned her crimes as "sickening".
Her crimes were discovered in June last year after she was sent home for pinching a number of children and appearing "flustered" at Riverside Nursery in Twickenham, south-west London, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.
Metropolitan Police detectives went through CCTV from the nursery that showed Lecka pinching and scratching children under their clothes on their arms, legs and stomachs.
She pinched several children dozens of times in the course of one day, causing them to cry and flinch away from her, the CPS said.
In one incident 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 he 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 Riverside, which has since closed.
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 headfirst 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 its own business before you deliberately inflicted pain causing the child to cry, arch, try to get away or writhe around in distress.
"Time after time you calmly watched the pain and suffering you have caused. Your criminal conduct can properly be characterised as sadistic."
Detective Sergeant Geoff Boye said in a statement after her conviction: "Footage showed Lecka carrying out multiple assaults on the children in her care which included repeatedly pinching and grabbing children, dropping babies into their cots and on one occasion, she delivered several kicks to a young boy to the face and stepped on his shoulder."
Lecka "was visibly bored" in the police interview, gave no comment answers, "and didn't appear bothered by the seriousness of the allegations", according to the detective.
This shocked and frustrated the lead investigating officers, Ms Hutchings said, and "only added to the upset being caused to the families because we were unable to provide any explanation to them, who were all left wondering why she has done this.
"She's never shown any remorse or any empathy throughout the trial or the investigation."
Lecka told police she smoked cannabis before her shifts, and at one point was seen vaping a metre away from a young baby.
She was also found not guilty of three counts of child cruelty.