A former nursery worker jailed for abusing 21 babies in west London is due to be deported to Poland later this week, prompting concerns from parents over her future supervision and release conditions.
Roksana Lecka, 23, from Hounslow, was sentenced to eight years in prison in September after admitting seven counts of cruelty to a person under 16 and being convicted of a further 14 following a trial. The offences took place at Twickenham Green Nursery and Riverside Nursery, where she worked between January and June 2024.
Metropolitan Police investigations uncovered extensive abuse through CCTV footage, showing Lecka pinching and scratching children under their clothes, causing distress and injury. Prosecutors said she targeted several children repeatedly in a single day. In one incident, she was filmed kicking a young boy in the face.
At her sentencing at Kingston Crown Court, Judge Sarah Plaschkes KC said Lecka had “pinched, slapped, punched, smacked and kicked” children, pulled their hair and ears, and tipped them “headfirst into cots”.
It is understood that Lecka is scheduled to be removed to Poland on Thursday. Responsibility for her supervision and any further detention will fall to Polish authorities once she arrives.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Munira Wilson said parents had been given less than a week’s notice of the deportation and had not been informed whether Lecka would continue serving her sentence abroad.
She said families feared that, without proper oversight, Lecka could go on to harm more children and called for clarity on her release terms.
Responding, victims minister Alex Davies-Jones expressed sympathy for the families and said discussions were under way with the Home Office to address the case and provide further information.
She said officials were working to ensure that victims received appropriate support and that ministers would be updated on the specifics of Lecka’s deportation and sentence arrangements.
British police are understood to be in contact with Polish authorities to ensure they are aware of Lecka’s criminal history.
A Home Office spokesperson declined to comment on the individual case but said all foreign national offenders who receive prison sentences in the UK are referred for deportation at the earliest opportunity. The department said it was seeking to reform the appeals system to increase removals of foreign offenders.