Roksana Lecka, 22, from Hounslow, claims she cannot remember attacking 21 children at a nursery in Twickenham, southwest London – she blames her apparent memory loss on cannabis
A cannibis-smoking nursery worker is facing jail after attacking 21 kids – which included kicking one defenceless child five times in the face.
Roksana Lecka, 22, from Hounslow, carried out the sickening assaults at £1,900-a-month Montessori Riverside Nursery on Twickenham Green, southwest London. Harrowing footage captured multiple attacks including Lecka grabbing a girl’s hair, pinching children’s faces and “going back for more.”
Her vile behaviour was finally reported after parents and staff spotted that their children had been bruised and scratched. Shocked carers had been documenting the abuse in the months leading up to Lecka being charged. She was suspended on June 28, last year and was charged with 24 counts of child cruelty.
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Lecka admitted seven of the charges against her but denied a further 17 at Kingston Crown Court. On Monday, after nine hours and 53 minutes, jurors convicted her of 14 of the remaining 17 child cruelty counts and acquitted her of three.
She had told the jury: “I can’t remember the things I was doing because I was smoking cannabis that was affecting my memory.” Lecka said she was also “addicted” to her vape. “At that time I was really addicted to vapes, I would smoke two little crystal disposables a day,” said Lecka.
“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.”
In the week of her suspension, Lecka claimed she had been “over-prioritising” her boyfriend. She added: “I was with my boyfriend every night. I was addicted to him.”
In her prepared statement, Lecka said: “I deny assaulting any children at the Riverside Nursery.” Asked in court if it was a lie Lecka said: “I was not lying because I was unaware of what I was doing and the things I was doing, I can’t remember the things I was doing because I was smoking cannabis that was affecting my memory.”
She added: “The amount of cannabis I was smoking was still affecting me, in that period of time, it affected my memory.” Prosecutor Tracy Ayling 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 least 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.”
There were no safeguarding issues before she began, the court heard. Jurors saw horrifying footage of Lecka kicking a boy in the face, the trainers she was using in that case were later seized by police. She admitted that charge. He was kicked four times in the face before she stepped on his shoulder and she then kicked him in the face again.
Several family members of the victims were in the public gallery and audible gasps could be heard as the footage was played. In further footage played to the court, Lecka can also be seen pinching the legs, back and underarm of a girl who can be seen crying.
There were also clips of her pinching the side of a girl’s face and grabbing her hair. She is seen vaping in another clip before grabbing a baby out of a crib and pinching and punching the baby. It was said that Lecka was “looking around” at other members of staff to see who was “watching these assaults occur”.
Dr Stephen Rose, a consultant paediatrician, who analysed all the photos and all the CCTV told the court: “Ears do not get injured or bruised accidentally, it is difficult to think how a child’s ear would bruise accidentally.”
Lecka admitted seven counts of child cruelty. She denied, but was convicted of a further 14 counts of the same charge. Lecka was acquitted of three counts of child cruelty. She was remanded in custody and will be sentenced at Kingston Crown Court at a later date.
