In a case that has sent shockwaves through communities in west London and beyond, Roksana Lecka, a 22-year-old nursery worker from Hounslow, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for the abuse of 21 babies at two nurseries. The sentencing at Kingston Crown Court on September 26, 2025, marks the grim conclusion of a harrowing investigation that has left parents reeling and raised urgent questions about safeguarding in childcare settings.
The abuse, described by Judge Sarah Plaschkes KC as "gratuitous" and "sadistic," occurred between October 2023 and June 2024 at Riverside Nursery in Twickenham and Little Munchkins in Hounslow, according to reports from the BBC and Metropolitan Police. Lecka’s crimes came to light in June 2024 after she was sent home for pinching several children at Riverside Nursery—a moment that would open the floodgates to a torrent of disturbing revelations.
According to the Metropolitan Police, staff at the Twickenham nursery first raised concerns in June 2024. As the investigation unfolded, officers reviewed a staggering 300 hours of CCTV footage in just 10 days. The footage revealed Lecka repeatedly pinching, hitting, and shoving children to the floor, pulling their hair, kicking them in the face, and even vaping towards their cots. She was also seen toppling children headfirst into cots, covering toddlers’ mouths when they cried, and inflicting bruises and lingering red marks on the infants—some as young as ten months old.
Judge Plaschkes, in her sentencing remarks, painted a chilling picture: "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."
Lecka’s pattern of abuse was both systematic and concealed. According to the Crown Prosecution Service, she pinched several children dozens of times in a single day, causing them to flinch and cry. One particularly disturbing incident involved her kicking a little boy in the face several times. She also pushed babies headfirst over cots and covered a toddler’s mouth to stifle his cries. She often checked to see that other staff weren’t watching before inflicting harm, according to the court proceedings.
Parents’ victim impact statements at Kingston Crown Court conveyed heartbreak, guilt, and a profound sense of betrayal. One mother, looking directly at Lecka, said, "These children were so innocent and vulnerable. They couldn’t speak, they couldn’t defend themselves and they couldn’t tell us as parents that something had happened to them. They were totally helpless and Roksana preyed upon them." Another mother, reflecting on the CCTV footage, added, "This really highlighted how defenceless all the children were and how sickening Roksana’s crimes were to target such young babies." A third parent voiced a sentiment shared by many: "I think Roksana is a huge threat to society. It is objectively shocking that she has been hiding in plain sight in society up until she was arrested. I think all of us can agree that only the worst kind of human would assault vulnerable babies."
The emotional toll on families has been immense. Some parents have moved away from London altogether, while others have suffered relationship breakdowns in the wake of the abuse. Several parents reported noticing their children pinching them, prompting fears that their young ones had learned this behavior from Lecka. One mother, whose son was kicked in the face, said, "We weren’t there to protect them." Another father revealed that his wife often said, had Lecka not been caught, "she could have gone on to seriously injure or even kill." The trauma has left lasting scars, with parents expressing difficulties in trusting others to care for their children. One mother even flew her parents from Panama to look after her daughter while she was away on business, according to local news reports.
During the trial, Lecka admitted seven counts of cruelty to a person under the age of 16 and was convicted after trial of another 14 counts. She was found not guilty on three counts. The court heard that Lecka was addicted to cannabis and vaping during the period of abuse, a fact she did not disclose to the nursery. In a letter to the court, she expressed remorse and apologized to the parents, claiming that cannabis use had "turned her into a different person." Her defense counsel, Arlette Piercy, cited Lecka’s young age and previous good character in mitigation, also noting that Lecka had been attacked in custody and spent time in a vulnerable prison wing. However, these arguments did little to lessen the sense of outrage and loss felt by families and the wider community.
The police investigation, led by Detective Inspector Sian Hutchings of the Met’s Public Protection Command, was described as both complex and emotionally taxing. "Today’s sentencing concludes a complex and emotional investigation," Hutchings stated. "The victims in this case are just babies, with the youngest being just 10 months at the time of the offences." She added, "Something which our officers have found shocking throughout this investigation is Roksana’s lack of accountability and her inability to explain her unjustifiable actions." Hutchings commended the strength of the parents, saying, "I can’t imagine how horrendous it’s been to sit in court and listen to the abuse that Lecka inflicted on their children. Despite this, they have acted with grace and dignity." Parents even recorded a thank you video for officers, expressing gratitude for "giving their children a voice when they didn’t have one."
Lawyers representing 18 families, including Jemma Till of Irwin Mitchell, emphasized that while Lecka’s conviction brings a measure of justice, "serious questions remain as to how Lecka’s abuse was allowed to go unchecked for several months." The focus now, Till said, is on "securing families, who will continue to be affected by Lecka’s actions for years to come, with the further answers they deserve." The Riverside Nursery in Twickenham has since closed, and Lecka has been barred from working with children.
The case has sparked a wider debate about safeguarding in early years settings, with parents, legal advocates, and officials demanding a thorough review of procedures and oversight. For now, the hope among affected families is that the painful lessons learned from this tragedy will lead to stronger protections for the most vulnerable members of society.
As the community grapples with the aftermath, the scars left by Lecka’s actions remain raw—but so too does the resolve to ensure that such abuses are never allowed to happen again.
