'Worst kind of human': 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 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. 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.