A 22-year-old nursery worker has been jailed for eight years after a Metropolitan Police investigation uncovered months of systematic abuse against infants in her care.
Roksana Helena Lecka, of Avro Place, Hounslow, was sentenced at Kingston Crown Court on Friday, 26 September, after being found guilty of 21 counts of child cruelty.
She has also been barred from working with children.
The court heard that Lecka’s crimes, committed between October 2023 and June 2024 at two nurseries in Twickenham and elsewhere, targeted children as young as 10 months old.
CCTV footage revealed her repeatedly pinching, striking and shoving toddlers to the floor, pulling their hair, kicking them in the face and even vaping towards their cots.
Detective Inspector Sian Hutchings of the Met’s Public Protection Command described the case as “a complex and emotional investigation.
She said: The victims in this case are just babies. What has shocked our officers most is Roksana’s complete lack of accountability and her inability to explain her unjustifiable actions. As a result of the hard work of our investigation team and partners, this woman will no longer be able to harm children.
Concerns were first raised by nursery staff in June 2024. Within 10 days, officers reviewed more than 300 hours of CCTV and collected statements from parents, who provided evidence of injuries on their children.
Lecka was arrested at her home on 5 July but refused to answer questions, even when confronted with footage of her actions.
She was later charged with multiple offences, including attempted grievous bodily harm.
Parents of the victims have since expressed gratitude to detectives. In a video message played in court, they thanked officers for giving their children a voice when they didn’t have one.
DI Hutchings praised the courage of families and the dedication of her colleagues, particularly DC Eloise Hand and DS Geoff Boye.
Lecka abused the trust placed in her by parents and colleagues. Today’s sentence holds her accountable and protects vulnerable children, she said.
