A 22-year-old nursery worker, Roksana Lecka, is on trial at Kingston Crown Court after being accused of physically abusing 23 infants at the high-end Riverside Nursery in Twickenham, southwest London.
Lecka, who worked at the £1,900-a-month nursery caring for children aged between 10 months and two years, is alleged to have assaulted babies by punching, grabbing, and pinching them—incidents reportedly captured on CCTV footage.
According to prosecutors, the disturbing footage shows Lecka pinching babies on various parts of their bodies, including their faces, legs, and stomachs. In one clip played in court, she is allegedly seen pulling a baby out of a crib before punching the child in the side. She then reportedly grabbed the child’s arm, pulled their hair, and caused the baby to hit their head on a table.
The court also heard claims that Lecka was caught on camera yanking a child’s hair and pinching their face, while another video allegedly showed her pinching a child’s nose, wrist, and mouth. Red marks and scratch injuries were found on some of the children under her care.
Prosecutors told the jury that Lecka appeared to check if other staff members were watching before carrying out the alleged assaults. Concerns were only raised after a colleague witnessed her pinching a child’s leg, prompting the headteacher to review the nursery’s CCTV footage.
In a prepared statement to police following her arrest, Lecka denied the allegations, stating:
“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… I am unaware how any injury to these children was caused.”
She currently faces multiple charges of child cruelty. While she has admitted to two offences, she denies 21 additional charges said to have occurred between January and June 2024. One of the charges involves an alleged incident before her employment at Riverside Nursery.
The trial is ongoing.