Inside horror London nursery where babies were tortured by 'evil' vaping abuser

Child abuser Roksana Lecka led a double life, posing for cheerful family photos on social media with her baby siblings, whom she helped her mother raise.

She was seen potty training them and bottle feeding them, with her "'proud" mum praising her "wonderful" daughter in one TikTok video. The 22-year-old, who had previously worked as a pubmaid, turned her attention to caring for other people's children and last year, securing a job at an upscale nursery in a suburb of south-west London.

It was here that the true, twisted nature of Lecka was revealed, shocking parents who had entrusted their loved ones in the care of Riverside Nursery at Twickenham Green. Charging nearly £2,000 a month, the nursery promised parents 'a bespoke and individualised education, delivered with nurturing, loving care'.

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However, during the five months that Lecka worked there, she subjected babies to a horrifying campaign of abuse. The former nursery worker abused 21 babies - she admitted to seven counts of cruelty to a person under the age of 16 and was convicted of another 14 counts by a jury at Kingston Crown Court in June.

Shocking footage was shown of her kicking a little boy four times in the face before stepping on his shoulder and kicking him in the face again. In another shocking video, Lecka, from Hounslow, was seen pinching the legs, back and underarm of a crying girl.

A third disturbing clip shows her yanking a baby out of their cot, before pinching and punching them. Prosecutors noted that Lecka could be seen "looking around" at other staff members to see who was "watching these assaults occur."

Despite her attempts to hide her wicked actions from colleagues, Lecka's crimes eventually caught up with her. Parents and staff noticed that their children had been bruised and scratched, leading to Lecka's suspension on 28 June last year.

Today, Lecka was jailed for eight years for multiple counts of child cruelty after abusing 21 babies. During the sentencing, statements from the parents of the 21 babies were heard.

One mother, who bravely read her own statement in the witness box, stared directly at Lecka and said: "These children were so innocent and vulnerable.

"They couldn't speak, they couldn't defend themselves and they couldn't tell us as parents that something had happened to them. They were totally helpless and Roksana preyed upon them."

Another mother, referencing the CCTV footage, said: "This really highlighted how defenceless all the children were and how sickening Roksana's crimes were to target such young babies."

The court heard from a different mother that some of the CCTV showed babies "reach back out to Roksana after she hurt them". She said: "I think Roksana is a huge threat to society.

"It is objectively shocking that she has been hiding in plain sight in society up until she was arrested. I think all of us can agree that only the worst kind of human would assault vulnerable babies."

Alarm bells first rang last March when parents began spotting scratches and bruises on their little ones. Lecka repeatedly attempted to mislead colleagues and hide her behaviour - nobody suspected Lecka until she was eventually caught in the act by a workmate.

When CCTV footage was examined, the proof was undeniable. Following charges of 24 counts of child cruelty, Lecka pleaded guilty to seven of the accusations, but rejected a further 17, insisting her cannabis use had impaired her memory so severely she couldn't recall her own behaviour. In a prepared statement, Lecka said: "I deny assaulting any children at the Riverside Nursery."

When questioned in court whether this was a falsehood, Lecka responded: "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 continued: "The amount of cannabis I was smoking was still affecting me; in that period of time, it affected my memory."

Lecka revealed she was also "addicted" to her vape, informing the court: "At that time, I was really addicted to vapes, I would smoke two little crystal disposables a day. 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 she was suspended, Lecka confessed to having been "over-prioritising" her boyfriend, to whom she was "addicted". She admitted: "I was with my boyfriend every night. I was addicted to him."

Jemma Till, a lawyer from Irwin Mitchell leading the civil action, feared there could be more victims and suspects, and incidents may have occurred before concerns were flagged up. Neighbours of the child abuser told the MoS that her behaviour took a turn when she reportedly lost her job at a salon.

"Something happened. She was smoking cannabis and became more distant," one said. With the encouragement of her mother, Lecka reportedly began looking for work in childcare and enrolled with an agency.

Despite lacking qualifications, she began working shifts before landing a permanent role at Riverside Nursery at Twickenham Green in January 2024, providing three references. In court, she spoke fondly of caring for her younger siblings, now aged five and 15.

"We have an inseparable bond. I see them as I would my own children," she expressed.

Prosecutor Tracy Ayling, addressing the jury, dismissed Lecka's claims of smoking cannabis and not being able to vape as mere "excuses" for her serious offences.

She asserted: "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."

A representative from Twickenham Green nursery expressed their distress over the situation, stating: "Situations like this are deeply upsetting and represent a profound breach of trust in a professional. We recognise how difficult this has been, in particular for the children and families directly involved. Creating places in which children are happy, safe and able to thrive is our top priority, and we will do everything in our power to protect that."

The nursery further stated that they took immediate action upon receiving complaints about Lecka's behaviour, which ultimately led to her arrest.