Nursery worker charged with child cruelty after she was filmed punching, grabbing and pinching babies

Saturday, May 10, 2025 - A court heard a nursery worker allegedly harmed infants by punching, grabbing and pinching them in attacks said to have been filmed on CCTV. 

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

A jury was told the 23 kids were harmed under the 22-year-old's care at the nursery, which looks after children aged between 10 months and two years. 

A further charge of child cruelty involves an alleged incident from before she was employed there. At the time she was hired, there was no evidence to suggest she was a safeguarding risk, the jury was told. 

CCTV footage appeared to show the woman pinching one of the children. The child was allegedly left with red marks as a result. 

In clips played in court, Lecka is allegedly seen pinching a child in a number of places across their body. Another piece of footage appeared to show her yanking a child's hair and pinching their face. 

Another clip appeared to show Lecka vaping before she removed a baby from the crib and punched them in the side, Kingston Crown Court was told. With the same child, she allegedly grabbed them by the arm and pulled their hair, resulting in them hitting their head on the table. 

Prosecutors say Lecka was seen looking around the room to see if other staff members were able to witness the behaviour. It wasn't until a colleague reported they had seen her pinching a child's leg that the headteacher checked CCTV footage. The footage allegedly showed her pinching the child on the nose, body, wrist and mouth. 

When Lecka was arrested, she gave investigators a prepared statement which 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 admitted to two charges and denies 21 further offences that allegedly took place between January and June 2024. 

The trial continues.