Nursery Worker Who Abused 21 Babies Could Walk Free After Deportation to Poland
Families of the victims of Roksana Lecka are reportedly "shocked, angry and frustrated" to learn she could walk free having only served months of an eight-year jail sentence. The nursery worker, who abused 21 babies while high on drugs, is due to be deported to her native Poland today, where her treatment will become the responsibility of Polish authorities.
Details of the Heinous Crimes
Lecka, now 23, was jailed for eight years in September after admitting seven counts of cruelty to a person under the age of 16. She was convicted after a trial of another 14 counts. Her nine months of "gratuitous" and "sadistic" violence included:
- Kicking a tot in the face repeatedly
- Pinching, slapping, punching, and smacking children
- Pulling their ears, hair, and toes
- Toppling them headfirst into cots
Parents of her victims told a court of their feelings of heartbreak, guilt, and distrust. The crimes were discovered in June 2024 after she was sent home for pinching children at Riverside Nursery in Twickenham, south west London, which has since closed.
Political Outcry and Family Concerns
Liberal Democrat MP Munira Wilson told the Commons that the youngsters' parents had not been told whether Lecka will continue to serve the rest of her eight-year sentence or go free. One parent told BBC London:
"The expectation obviously was that that sentence would be served. And it now appears it's not going to be. The reasoning behind custodial sentences, theoretically, is punishment for the offender, some form of rehabilitation and a deterrent to it happening again. In this case, the punishment hasn't been served. It's unclear if there's been any rehabilitation."
Ms Wilson added that parents fear, if left unsupervised, she will harm many more children. She called for information regarding Lecka's release terms, noting that parents were given less than a week's notice of the deportation.
Government Response and Safeguarding Measures
Alex Norris, minister for border security and asylum, said in a letter to the MP:
"Whilst Lecka is not required to serve the remainder of her sentence in Poland, we have made Polish law enforcement aware of her convictions so that appropriate safeguarding actions can be taken by the Polish authorities."
However, Wilson argued:
"Parents are horrified. They want justice to be done for their children. If someone comes to this country, breaks our laws, they should face the full force of the law and serve their time before they are then deported back. Who knows, she may go on to abuse other children in Poland, or other countries."
Victims minister Alex Davies-Jones said she wanted to send "thoughts and sympathies to all of the victims of these most heinous crimes."
Background and Additional Evidence
Lecka, from Hounslow, west London, worked at the nursery school between January and June 2024. She smoked cannabis before her shifts, and CCTV footage released yesterday shows her vaping 3ft from a baby. She was caught after parents and staff spotted the children had been bruised and scratched.
At her sentencing last year, Judge Sarah Plaschkes KC condemned her actions, highlighting the systematic abuse inflicted on vulnerable infants in her care.
