Latest news with #Lecka
News18
16-06-2025
- News18
UK Montessori Nursery Worker Found Guilty Of Assaulting 21 Toddlers
Last Updated: The parents' eyes were filled with tears as the verdict was announced. Lecka herself was in tears as she was taken to the cells. Roksana Lecka, a 22-year-old worker at a Montessori nursery in Twickenham, London, has been found guilty of assaulting 21 toddlers. She has been convicted of 'badly harming' 21 toddlers at the Riverside Nursery in Twickenham, south-west London, earlier this year. According to a report by the Daily Mail, Lecka admitted to seven counts of child cruelty, including kicking a boy in the face and punching a girl in the side. She explained her actions by saying she was exhausted after smoking cannabis all night with her boyfriend. While she denied 17 other charges, a jury at Kingston Crown Court unanimously found her guilty. As per the report, the parents' eyes were filled with tears as the verdict was announced. Lecka herself was in tears as she was taken to the cells. In one incident, she repeatedly kicked a child in the face and even punched a baby after pulling her out of a cot. The incident came to light when parents started noticing unusual injuries on their young children as early as March last year. Some began taking photos and reporting the marks. During the trial, they watched in disbelief as CCTV footage showed Lecka carrying out the assaults, including the disturbing moment she kicked a little boy in the face multiple times, as per the report. Lecka was suspended earlier this year after the staff at the nursery noticed the scratches and bruises on the children. She was later suspended on June 28, 2024. The jury reviewed the CCTV footage and charged her with 24 counts of child cruelty, of which she admitted to 7 but denied 17. She was taken into custody and is scheduled to be sentenced at Kingston Crown Court on September 26. Judge Sarah Plaschkes KC excused the jury from serving again for the next ten years, said the report. First Published: June 16, 2025, 19:46 IST
Metro
16-06-2025
- Metro
Nursery worker punched and kicked children while high on cannabis
Former nursery worker Roksana Lecka has been convicted of abusing children as young as ten months who were left in her care. The 22-year-old was captured on CCTV pinching children, dropping babies and vaping less than a metre away from another young baby. Parents found red marks, bruises and scratches on their children, with pictures of some injuries shown in court. Lecka was found guilty of 21 counts of child cruelty today following a six-week trial at Kingston Crown Court. An investigation by the Metropolitan Police began in June 2024 when a staff member at one of the nurseries where Lecka worked flagged concerns about her behaviour. Officers discovered she had abused children as young as ten months at two nurseries in Twickenham and Hounslow between October 2023 and the start of their investigation. Met Detective Sergeant Geoff Boye said: 'Footage showed Lecka carrying out multiple assaults on the children in her care which included repeatedly pinching and grabbing children, dropping babies into their cots and on one occasion, she delivered several kicks to a young boy to the face and stepped on his shoulder.' The Montessori nursery worker told the court she would 'smoke cannabis quite regularly with my boyfriend' until very late at night. She said: '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.' Of one alleged assault, in which she is said to have 'smacked' a young girl while vaping, she said: 'I had two to three tokes, that would be my normal amount. I did not smack her. I put my arm around her really quickly. 'I do not accept smacking her in the face. I think she's distressed and tearful because she's just woken up from a nap.' The jury found Lecka not guilty on three of the 24 counts of child cruelty she was charged with. She will appear at Kingston Crown Court for sentencing on September 26. More Trending Detective Inspector Sian Hutchings of the Met said: 'These families left their children in Lecka's care, trusting her to take protect their children as well as the other staff at the nurseries clearly did. 'The footage of her offences against defenceless children was disturbing. 'I would like to praise the strength of the victim's families who have had to sit in court and watch footage of the abuse which Lecka inflicted on their children.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Ex-Tory MP pleads not guilty to alleged sexual assaults at London's Groucho club MORE: Rachel Zegler's West End debut sparks controversy over shock move MORE: Mum-of-two is first British Air India crash victim released to family
Scottish Sun
16-06-2025
- Scottish Sun
Cannabis-smoking nursery worker GUILTY of punching, grabbing and pinching 21 babies in sick attacks caught on camera
A CANNABIS-smoking nursery worker has been found guilty of punching, grabbing and pinching 21 babies in sick attacks. Roksana Lecka left the children with scratches to their faces and necks and pinch marks on their inner legs and stomachs. 4 Roksana Lecka was accused of attacking 23 babies at a nursery Credit: Social Media Collect 4 She told a court she would be moody if she could not vape at work Credit: Social Media Collect She also kicked one young boy in the face and stomped on him in footage that left the courtroom horrified. The 22-year-old was accused of "badly harming" the tots over a six month period while working at the Riverside Nursery in Twickenham, South West London. The nursery, which charges up to £1,900 a month to look after children aged up to two years, follows the Montessori method of teaching. She has now been found guilty of 14 counts of child cruelty after previously admitting seven charges. Lecka was cleared of two counts relating to one child at Kingston Crown Court. The court heard how there were no apparent safeguarding issues when Lecka was hired. But last summer, CCTV of the baby room appeared to show the worker pinch a child - leaving them with red marks. In footage played to the court, Lecka could also be seen pinching the legs, back and under arm of a girl who can be seen crying. Further footage showed her pinching the side of a girl's face and grabbing her hair. Lecka can be seen vaping in another clip before she took a baby from a crib and pinched and punched her side. One victim was sat at a table when Lecka repeatedly pinched her - causing the girl to cry, it was said. She then grabbed the girl by the arm and pulled her hair so her head made contact with the table. The court heard Lecka was "looking around" at other members of staff to see who was "watching when these assaults occur". One colleague reported seeing the worker assault a boy by pinching his legs - leading the headteacher to check CCTV. Jurors were told the footage showed Lecka also pinching his nose, body, wrist, and mouth. Police trawled through a month's worth of CCTV and discovered the babies had been "badly treated in some way". They also seized a pair of trainers Lecka had used to kicking a baby four times in the face and step on his shoulder. In her evidence, Lecka told the court she would "smoke cannabis quite regularly with my boyfriend". She said: "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." She also told the court how she was "so tired" at the time and was not getting any sleep. Lecka claimed she was "addicted" to her boyfriend so was "over-prioritising" him. Her lawyer also claimed she was "worn out, had bad period pains, was short of energy, she was not her normally bubbly self". But prosecutor Tracy Ayling KC told jurors that smoking cannabis and not being able to vape were "excuses" for the alleged offences. She added: "It is clear her actions are deliberate or at the very last careless, but on most occasions we say deliberate. "There are, of course, some clips where Ms Lecka - as we put it - keeps going back for more." Lecka was arrested on July 5 last year and said in a prepared statement: "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." Lecka admitted two charges of child cruelty but denies 21 further offences. She was remanded into custody to be sentenced at a later date. 4 Lecka denied 21 child cruelty offences Credit: Social Media Collect
The Irish Sun
16-06-2025
- The Irish Sun
Cannabis-smoking nursery worker GUILTY of punching, grabbing and pinching 21 babies in sick attacks caught on camera
A CANNABIS-smoking nursery worker has been found guilty of punching, grabbing and pinching 21 babies in sick attacks. Roksana Lecka left the children with scratches to their faces and necks and pinch marks on their inner legs and stomachs. 4 Roksana Lecka was accused of attacking 23 babies at a nursery Credit: Social Media Collect 4 She told a court she would be moody if she could not vape at work Credit: Social Media Collect She also kicked one young boy in the face and stomped on him in footage that left the courtroom horrified. The 22-year-old was accused of "badly harming" the tots over a six month period while working at the Riverside Nursery in Twickenham, South West London. The nursery, which charges up to £1,900 a month to look after children aged up to two years, follows the Montessori method of teaching. She has now been found guilty of 14 counts of child cruelty after previously admitting seven charges. Lecka was cleared of two counts relating to one child at Kingston Crown Court. The court heard how there were no apparent safeguarding issues when Lecka was hired. But last summer , CCTV of the baby room appeared to show the worker pinch a child - leaving them with red marks. In footage played to the court, Lecka could also be seen pinching the legs, back and under arm of a girl who can be seen crying. Most read in The Sun Further footage showed her pinching the side of a girl's face and grabbing her hair . Lecka can be seen vaping in another clip before she took a baby from a crib and pinched and punched her side. One victim was sat at a table when Lecka repeatedly pinched her - causing the girl to cry, it was said. She then grabbed the girl by the arm and pulled her hair so her head made contact with the table. The court heard Lecka was "looking around" at other members of staff to see who was "watching when these assaults occur". One colleague reported seeing the worker assault a boy by pinching his legs - leading the headteacher to check CCTV. Jurors were told the footage showed Lecka also pinching his nose, body, wrist, and mouth. Police trawled through a month's worth of CCTV and discovered the babies had been "badly treated in some way". They also seized a pair of trainers Lecka had used to kicking a baby four times in the face and step on his shoulder. In her evidence, Lecka told the court she would "smoke cannabis quite regularly with my boyfriend". She said: "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." She also told the court how she was "so tired" at the time and was not getting any sleep . Lecka claimed she was "addicted" to her boyfriend so was "over-prioritising" him. Her lawyer also claimed she was "worn out, had bad period pains, was short of energy , she was not her normally bubbly self". But prosecutor Tracy Ayling KC told jurors that smoking cannabis and not being able to vape were "excuses" for the alleged offences. She added: "It is clear her actions are deliberate or at the very last careless, but on most occasions we say deliberate. "There are, of course, some clips where Ms Lecka - as we put it - keeps going back for more." Lecka was arrested on July 5 last year and said in a prepared statement: "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." Read more on the Irish Sun Lecka admitted two charges of child cruelty but denies 21 further offences. She was remanded into custody to be sentenced at a later date. 4 Lecka denied 21 child cruelty offences Credit: Social Media Collect 4 The offences are said to have taken place at Riverside Nursery in Twickenham Credit: Google
Metro
12-06-2025
- Metro
Nursery worker accused of hurting babies 'got fed up if she couldn't vape'
A Montessori nursery worker accused of deliberately hurting dozens of toddlers in her care says she was addicted to weed and vapes at the time and 'would get fed up' if she could not smoke, a court has heard. Roksana Lecka, 22, is said to have 'badly harmed' 23 children while employed at the £1,900-a-month Riverside Nursery in Twickenham, south-west London, between January and June last year. She is also accused of assaulting or ill-treating another infant at the Little Munchkins Montessori Nursery in Hounslow, west London, in October 2023. During her trial at Kingston Crown Court, jurors have seen CCTV footage of Lecka appearing to pinch children, allegedly leaving one 'writhing' in pain and drawing gasps from parents watching from the public gallery. Lecka got the job at Riverside, which follows the Montessori method of teaching, involving children's 'natural interests' instead of formal practices, in January last year. Jurors have heard there were no concerns raised when she applied, complete with a reference from another nursery as well as the families of two children she had looked after. It was a colleague who eventually raised a alarm, claiming to have seen Lecka assaulting a boy by pinching his legs. Jurors have heard a review of CCTV footage also showed her pinching his nose, body, wrist and mouth. The court has heard evidence that Lecka was not her 'normal bubbly self' towards the end of June, MailOnline reports. She told jurors from the witness box she was addicted to cannabis and vapes and would regularly stay up until the early hours with her boyfriend. Giving evidence, Lecka said she would 'smoke cannabis quite regularly with my boyfriend' at the time. She said: '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.' Of one alleged assault, in which she is said to have 'smacked' a young girl while vaping, she said: 'I had two to three tokes, that would be my normal amount. I did not smack her. I put my arm around her really quickly. 'I do not accept smacking her in the face. I think she's distressed and tearful because she's just woken up from a nap.' But in her closing speech to jurors, prosecutor Tracy Ayling KC asked them to consider whether the footage showed 'innocuous or innocent squeezes', like Lecka claims, or 'pinches' and 'rough treatment'. 'If she was tired, grumpy and feeling put upon by others, is what we see her taking it out on children by hurting them?' she added. 'There are, of course, some clips where Ms Lecka – as we put it – keeps going back for more.' Arlette Piercy, defending, told jurors in her closing address that there were times when Lecka 'could simply not cope – she had not slept enough, she had been burning the candle at both ends, she was under too much pressure and she cracked'. 'That you may think is the picture here, rather than the prosecution seeks to make of a young woman in a sense… rotten to the core, who set out on a sad sustained campaign of abuse,' she added. Lecka denies 16 counts of child cruelty. The court has heard she has admitted seven similar offences. The trial continues. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: This is how much more single people pay to live alone in London MORE: Homes evacuated and man arrested in Llanelli after 'bomb found near Post Office' MORE: Woman arrested on suspicion of murder after boy, 4, found dead inside Maidenhead home
