Nursery Worker Who Abused 21 Babies Set for Deportation to Poland
A woman convicted of abusing 21 babies at a West London nursery is scheduled for deportation to Poland this Thursday, sparking concerns from victims' parents that she could pose a continued threat to children.
Details of the Abuse and Conviction
Roksana Lecka, now 23 and originally from Hounslow, London, was sentenced to eight years in prison last September after admitting to seven counts of cruelty to a person under 16 and being convicted of another 14 counts following a trial. The abuse occurred at Twickenham Green Nursery but was only uncovered after she was caught mistreating children at a second location, Riverside Nursery, where she worked between January and June 2024.
Metropolitan Police detectives reviewed CCTV footage that revealed Lecka pinching and scratching children under their clothes on their arms, legs, and stomachs. According to the Crown Prosecution Service, she pinched several children dozens of times in a single day, causing them to cry and flinch away. In one particularly disturbing incident, she kicked a young boy in the face multiple times.
At her sentencing, Judge Sarah Plaschkes KC at Kingston Crown Court described how Lecka "pinched, slapped, punched, smacked, and kicked" the children, and "pulled their ears, hair, and their toes," even toppling them "headfirst into cots." Lecka reportedly told police she smoked cannabis before her shifts and was seen vaping near a baby. She was found not guilty of three additional counts of child cruelty.
Parental Concerns and Political Response
Parents of the abused babies have expressed fears that Lecka could "harm many more children" if left unsupervised after deportation. Munira Wilson, the Liberal Democrat MP for Twickenham, raised the issue in the House of Commons, highlighting that parents were given less than a week's notice of the deportation and lack information on whether Lecka will serve the remainder of her sentence in Poland or be released early.
Wilson stated: "They have been given no information about whether Lecka will continue to serve the rest of her eight-year sentence or whether she will walk free after just four months in a UK prison. They fear, if left unsupervised, she will harm many more children."
In response, victims minister Alex Davies-Jones offered sympathies to the victims and noted that child abuse is "one of the most heinous crimes." She mentioned that the sentencing minister is meeting with Home Office colleagues to discuss the case and ensure updates are provided.
Deportation and International Coordination
Lecka is due to be deported to Poland later this week, where her treatment will become a matter for Polish authorities. British police are believed to be contacting Polish officials to inform them of her criminal history. A Home Office spokesperson declined to comment specifically on the case but emphasised their stance: "We will not allow foreign criminals and illegal migrants to exploit our laws. We are reforming human rights laws and replacing the broken appeals system so we can scale up deportations."
Detective Sergeant Geoff Boye, in a statement after Lecka's conviction, detailed the assaults captured on footage, including repeated pinching, grabbing, dropping babies into cots, and the kicks to a boy's face. The case underscores ongoing challenges in child protection and cross-border criminal management.
