'Exceptionally cruel' nursery worker, 22, who 'kicked boy in the face' guilty of attacking 21 toddlers
16 June 2025, 12:17 | Updated: 16 June 2025, 15:36
Roksana Lecka seen getting arrested
An 'exceptionally cruel' 22-year-old nursery worker who kicked a toddler in the face has been found guilty of attacking 21 babies in her care.
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Roksana Lecka's actions left several children with extensive scratches to their faces and necks, as well as various marks across their legs and stomachs in what's been described as a "targeted" attack.
The worker, who was employed at the £1,900-a-month Riverside Montessori nursery in Twickenham, south west London, was found guilty by a jury on Monday of 14 counts of child cruelty after previously admitting seven charges.
Footage shown to shocked jurors at Kingston Crown Court showed the nursery worker kick one young boy in the face and stomach during one particular attack.
The nursery worker, originally from Katowice in southern Poland, had claimed she was sleep deprived at the time of the attack, having admitted to smoking cannabis all night with her partner.
Lecka began her employment at the Riverside nursery in January last year, with jurors hearing there were no concerns raised during her application, which included a reference from another nursery and testimonials from the families of two children she had previously cared for.
The court heard how Lecka would "smoke cannabis quite regularly with [her] boyfriend", with the nursery worker telling the court: "At that time I was really addicted to vapes, I would smoke two little crystal disposables a day."
"I was vaping in nursery. Because if I did not smoke I would get agitated and fed up. I couldn't keep asking to go to the toilet. Any opportunity I would take. I would be really moody and fed up.
'It would be a couple of puffs and then I'd put it away… I would put it in my bra."
The court heard how one child was repeatedly kicked in the face by Lecka, who also punched another baby after dragging her from a cot at the nursery.
Roksana Lecka interviewed by police
Parents began documenting injuries to their children after the youngsters returned home with unexplained marks on their bodies as early as March last year.
It was a colleague who eventually raised an alarm after claiming she had seen the nursery worker assaulting a boy in her care by pinching his legs.
Staff also noticed scratches and bruises on the tots' skin, with Lecka later suspended from the nursery on June 28, 2024.
The initial report from a colleague led the headteacher to check CCTV footage of the incident.
Jurors were told the footage showed the nursery worker pinching the toddler's nose, body, wrist, and mouth.
Lecka was eventually arrested by police on July 5 last year.
In a pre-prepared statement, she told the court: "I deny assaulting any children at the Riverside Nursery… I went into work that day and had a normal day. There were no accidents where any child seemed hurt.
"We have procedures for the handling of the children, which I adhered to. I am unaware how any injury to these children were caused."
Consultant paediatrician Dr Stephen Rose told the trial that wounds including bruised earlobes, torsos and thighs could only have been deliberate.
"Ears do not get injured or bruised accidentally…if it is a bruise it was caused non-accidentally or deliberately inflicted," he said
"The side of the torso is relatively protected by the arm, so it is not an area that is bruised accidentally."
A spokesman from Riverside Nurseries said: 'This has been a distressing case, particularly for the children and families directly affected. Our thoughts are first and foremost with those families.
"Following concerns raised by Riverside Nursery staff, the individual was suspended and ultimately charged with offences against a number of children at the Nursery. Although Roksana Lecka was not convicted on all charges, today’s verdict confirms the seriousness of those concerns.
"Situations like this are deeply upsetting and represent a profound breach of trust in a professional. We recognise how difficult this has been, in particular for the children and families directly involved.
"Creating places in which children are happy, safe and able to thrive is our top priority, and we will do everything in our power to protect that."
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.
"We also called on experts to prove that the injuries Lecka’s victims sustained were consistent with pinch marks.'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."
However, a jury found her guilty by unanimous decision on Monday.
She will remanded in custody until sentencing on September 26.
