By Ellie Ng

Copyright standard

A nursery worker who abused 21 babies has been jailed for eight years as parents of her victims condemned her “sickening” crimes and branded her the “worst kind of human”.

Roksana Lecka, from Hounslow, west London, admitted seven counts of cruelty to a person under the age of 16 and was convicted after a trial of another 14 counts over her “gratuitous” and “sadistic” actions at two nurseries.

The 22-year-old’s crimes were discovered in June last year after she was sent home for pinching a number of children at Riverside Nursery in Twickenham, south-west London.

Parents of Lecka’s victims told of their feelings of heartbreak, guilt and distrust in victim impact statements at Kingston Crown Court on Friday, with some of them taking to the witness box to deliver their words in front of a full courtroom – including four jurors who returned to watch the sentencing.

Judge Sarah Plaschkes KC told the defendant: “You committed multiple acts of gratuitous violence.

“You pinched, slapped, punched, smacked and kicked them. You pulled their ears, hair and their toes. You toppled children headfirst into cots. You caused bruising and lingering red marks.

“When you committed these acts of cruelty you would look at the other members of staff to make sure that they were not watching you.

“Often the child would be quietly and happily minding its own business before you deliberately inflicted pain causing the child to cry, arch, try to get away or writhe around in distress.

“Time after time you calmly watched the pain and suffering you have caused. Your criminal conduct can properly be characterised as sadistic.”