A nursery worker who mistreated 21 children in her care has been jailed for eight years.
Roksana Lecka was caught on CCTV pinching, punching and kicking her victims while working at the now closed Riverside Nursery in Twickenham, southwest London.
The 22-year-old was also seen aggressively covering a young boy’s mouth as he started to cry, in a pattern of behaviour described as “exceptional cruelty”.
Lecka, of Hounslow, had previously pleaded guilty to seven counts of cruelty towards a person under the age of 16.
A jury at Kingston Crown Court convicted her of another 14 counts in June following a trial.
Metropolitan Police detectives reviewed CCTV from a number of days in June 2024 that showed her pinching and scratching children under their clothes – on their arms, legs and stomachs.
Several of the children were seen being pinched dozens of times over the course of a day. Most cried and flinched away from Lecka.
Lecka could be seen vaping in another clip before taking a baby from a crib, who she was later filmed pinching and punching her side.
Several parents of the children who had been under Lecka’s care reported unusual injuries and bruising in March and May 2024.
When footage of the incidents was played in court, there were gasps from parents in the public gallery – some who were watching it for the first time.
Other instances of abuse included kicking a child who was on the floor, pushing children headfirst over cots, shoving a child onto a mattress in a sleep room, and aggressively covering a toddler’s mouth as he started to cry.
Giving a victim impact statement to the court, the parents of the children described Lecka as the “worst kind of human”.
And handing sentence, Judge Sarah Plaschkes KC told the defendant: “You committed multiple acts of gratuitous violence.”
After describing the violence against the children, she added: “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.”
Follow our channel and never miss an update
Be the first to get Breaking News
Install the Sky News app for free
Gemma Burns, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Lecka repeatedly showed exceptional cruelty in her appalling treatment of these babies.
“No parent should have to fear leaving their child in the care of professionals, but the sheer scale of her abuse is staggering.
“The CPS put forward compelling evidence that clearly showed her targeting children when colleagues were either out of the room, or had their backs turned.
“Lecka was placed in a position of trust and her job required her to provide safety and protection.
“Instead, she kicked, scratched, and pinched these young children, with this vile abuse of vulnerable victims continuing for many months.”
