A nursery worker from south-west London has been found guilty of engaging in a shocking campaign of abuse against babies and toddlers at a respected childcare facility. Roksana Lecka, aged 22, was convicted on fourteen counts of child cruelty following a trial at Kingston Crown Court, after evidence emerged of sustained ill-treatment at the Montessori Riverside Nursery in Twickenham.
Parents who entrusted their children to the nursery, paying nearly £2,000 each month for what they believed to be a safe environment, have been left devastated by the disturbing revelations. Instead of the protection and care promised, the court heard that a number of youngsters under Lecka’s supervision were subjected to violence and outright cruelty, sometimes in full view of CCTV cameras.
During the trial, jurors were presented with distressing video evidence capturing acts of brutality. In one incident, Lecka was seen kicking a young boy in the face multiple times and standing on his shoulder, seemingly unconcerned by the possibility of colleagues observing her actions. In another clip, she pinched, punched, and manhandled a crying infant, again glancing around to check whether other staff members were present.
Gasps and tears were reported from the public gallery, where family members of victims watched the footage in horror. The Crown’s lead prosecutor, Tracy Ayling KC, addressed the jury, asserting that Lecka’s actions were not only deliberate but repeated—remarking that the defendant seemed to “keep going back for more” in instances of abuse.
Suspicion began to mount in June 2024 when both parents and staff noted unexplained bruises and scratch marks on children at the nursery. Their concerns prompted an internal investigation and, ultimately, Lecka’s suspension from duty. The authorities were notified, leading to Lecka’s arrest and subsequent charge sheet, originally comprising twenty-four counts.
Throughout her police interviews and during the trial, Lecka repeatedly denied responsibility for the assaults. She claimed instead that a heavy cannabis habit had left her with memory loss, to the extent that she could not recall her own actions. In an extraordinary statement to the court, she also attributed mood swings and agitation at work to her addiction to vaping, revealing that she would sneak puffs from disposable vapes hidden in her clothing while on duty. According to Lecka, her stress was further compounded by a tumultuous relationship outside of work.
The prosecution, however, was unequivocal in rejecting Lecka’s explanations as mere “excuses,” drawing attention to the clear and deliberate distress evident in the video recordings. Ms Ayling reminded the jury of the duty of care owed to vulnerable children in such settings, and the extraordinary breach of trust involved in this case.
Lecka ultimately entered guilty pleas to seven charges, but denied others, maintaining her innocence on the grounds of impaired memory. The jury, after considering the evidence, returned a unanimous verdict of guilty on a total of fourteen counts.
Reacting to the verdict, many in the court expressed relief that the accountability process had begun, but questions remain about how such mistreatment could occur in a setting trusted by so many families. The case has spurred renewed scrutiny of standards and monitoring in early-childhood care.
Lecka has been remanded in custody, and sentencing will take place in the coming weeks. The nursery at the centre of the case has since reviewed its safeguarding protocols, but for families affected by the abuse, the process of rebuilding trust is likely to be a lengthy one.