Nursery Worker ‘Seen Hurting 23 Babies On CCTV’

A court was informed that a nursery worker allegedly abused infants by punching, grabbing, and pinching them in incidents reportedly captured on CCTV.

Roksana Lecka, 22, is accused of causing scratches on the babies’ faces and pinch marks on their legs and stomachs while employed at the £1,900-a-month Riverside Nursery in Twickenham, south west London.

The jury learned that 23 children were harmed under the 22-year-old’s care at the nursery, which caters to children aged between 10 months and two years.

An additional child cruelty charge relates to an alleged incident that occurred before her employment at the nursery. At the time of her hiring, there was no indication she posed a safeguarding risk, the jury was informed.

CCTV footage reportedly showed the woman pinching one of the children, allegedly leaving the child with red marks as a result.

In court-played clips, Lecka is allegedly seen pinching a child in multiple areas across their body. Another piece of footage appeared to depict her pulling a child’s hair and pinching their face.

Another clip reportedly showed Lecka vaping before she lifted a baby from the crib and punched them in the side, Kingston Crown Court was told. With the same child, she allegedly grabbed their arm and pulled their hair, causing them to hit their head on the table.

Prosecutors stated that Lecka was observed checking the room to see if other staff could witness her actions. It was only after a colleague reported seeing her pinch a child’s leg that the headteacher reviewed CCTV footage, which allegedly showed her pinching the child on the nose, body, wrist, and mouth.

Upon her arrest, Lecka provided investigators with a prepared statement that read: “I deny assaulting any children at the Riverside Nursery…I went to 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 was caused.”

Lecka faces child cruelty charges. She has pleaded guilty to two charges but denies 21 additional offences allegedly committed between January and June 2024.

The trial is ongoing.

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