Nursery worker who kicked, punched and pinched children in her care is jailed
A nursery worker who mistreated 21 children in her care, including kicking one boy in the face, 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”. In one incident, she kicked a little boy in the face several times.
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. She was found not guilty of three further counts of child cruelty.
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 during a police interview. Pic: Met Police/PA
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.
Lecka was arrested at her home. Pic: Met Police
Parents call Lecka ‘worst kind of human’
Giving victim impact statements to the court, the parents of the children described Lecka as the “worst kind of human”.
And handing down a sentence, Judge Sarah Plaschkes KC told her: “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.”
Lawyers call for ‘further answers’ on abuse
Jemma Till, the expert lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing families, said after sentencing that Lecka “abused her position of trust in cruellest way over a number of months”.
She then said that “serious questions remain as to how Lecka’s abuse was allowed to go unchecked for several months”, before adding: “Our focus is now on securing families, who will continue to be affected by Lecka’s actions for years to come, with the further answers they deserve.”
The parents of a child that Lecka admitted to assaulting also said through the law firm that “trying to come to terms with what our child suffered, has been incredibly difficult”.
“Whilst we’re relieved Lecka has been stopped and dealt with by the courts, the effects of what happened still impact on our family,” they said.
“We’re now nervous about letting our child out of our sight and into the care of others, a position no parent should find themselves in.”
Lecka ‘didn’t appear bothered’ during questioning
The Metropolitan Police noted that one of the charges against Lecka related to an incident at Little Munchkins in Hounslow, and said she appeared “visibly bored” during a police interview.
Detective Inspector Sian Hutchings, the senior investigating officer in the case, told the PA news agency that the former nursery worker has “never given any explanation for her behaviour and what she’s done”.
During Lecka’s police interview, she gave no comment answers and “didn’t appear bothered by the seriousness of the allegations”, Ms Hutchings said.
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Gemma Burns, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said in a statement after sentencing that Lecka “repeatedly showed exceptional cruelty in her appalling treatment of these babies”.
She said: “No parent should have to fear leaving their child in the care of professionals, but the sheer scale of her abuse is staggering.
“Lecka was placed in a position of trust and her job required her to provide safety and protection.”
Police have appealed for information after a man was charged with murdering two women and raping a third.
Simon Levy has been charged with murdering 53-year-old Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo who died on the Aylesbury Estate, south-east London, on 17 March, the Metropolitan Police said.
In September, Levy, of Beaufoy Road, Tottenham, north London, was charged with murdering 39-year-old Sheryl Wilkins who was found unresponsive in High Road, Tottenham, on 24 August.
He is also accused of grievous bodily harm with intent, non-fatal strangulation and two counts of rape against a third woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, in Haringey, north London, on 21 January, police said.
The 40-year-old will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday charged with Ms Valencia-Trujillo’s murder.
Sheryl Wilkins was found unresponsive in High Road, Tottenham, on 24 August. Pic: Metropolitan Police
He is also due to appear at the Old Bailey on Wednesday for a plea and trial preparation hearing for the murder of Ms Wilkins.
Detectives believe there may be individuals who have information relevant to this investigation – or who are yet to report incidents which have directly impacted them – and are asking for people to come forward.
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UK
Family of woman killed 56 years ago, in a case of mistaken identity, believe her remains are buried in a garden
A new “national day” to honour victims and survivors of terrorism will be added to the calendar from next year, it has been revealed.
The annual commemoration will fall on 21 August, and will be marked in a different place each year to recognise the widespread impact of terrorism around the country.
It comes after a 12-week public consultation showed 91% supported the plan for a national day, and 84% strongly supported the proposal.
Flowers left in St Ann’s Square, Manchester, to remember the Manchester Arena terror attack. Pic: PA
How the day will look, including a final name and symbol, will be worked out collaboratively between survivors and ministers, according to the Home Office.
But it will “honour and remember victims and survivors of terrorism”, encouraging survivors to access specialist support, spotlighting their stories, and educating the public.
A spokesperson for the Home Office confirmed that it would not be a bank holiday.
Jo Berry, whose father Sir Anthony Berry was killed in the IRA Brighton hotel bombing in 1984, said victims of terrorism would no longer be “a footnote of history”.
Jo Berry, whose father was killed in the Brighton bombing in 1984, with convicted bomber Patrick Magee in 2004. File pic: PA
She said: “What we remember as a nation matters. It sends a signal about what we value.
“For too long, survivors of terror attacks, and those who have been killed in them, have been a footnote of history. Survivors have felt ignored and forgotten.
“That’s why Survivors Against Terror launched a campaign for a new national day of memorial three years ago.”
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Travis Frain, who survived the Westminster Bridge attack in 2017, also backed the campaign.
He said: “A national day would provide an opportunity to remember those we have lost, to pay tribute to the bravery and resilience of those who have survived these heinous acts, and for us to look forward to the future to educate the next generation.”
The date was chosen to coincide with the UN International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism.
Plans have also been announced for a new support hub to help victims in the aftermath of terror attacks.
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