A 23-year-old nursery worker who was jailed for abusing 21 babies in the UK has been deported to Poland without the necessary paperwork, authorities have stated. Roksana Lecka's current whereabouts in Poland are unknown, raising concerns that she could potentially seek employment in childcare again.
Lecka was sentenced to eight years in prison after admitting to seven child cruelty offenses and being convicted by a jury on 14 additional counts. The abuse occurred at Riverside Nursery in Twickenham and Little Munchkins in Hounslow, London. She was reportedly deported under early removal procedures before completing her full sentence.
Reports from Poland indicate that Lecka is not in custody because British officials utilized a unilateral deportation procedure rather than a formal prisoner-transfer process. This meant Polish authorities lacked the legal authority to detain her upon arrival.
A spokesperson for the Polish Border Guard, Major Dagmara Bielec, stated that the Polish citizen's return from Great Britain did not occur under any formal international cooperation procedures between the two countries. Consequently, Polish authorities were unable to enter her into relevant criminal databases or international alert systems that would have enabled immediate action.
Because no official documentation from the UK regarding her expulsion was provided, and without corresponding entries in national or international law-enforcement systems, border guards processed her under standard entry procedures, allowing her into Poland without detention. Major Bielec confirmed that officers had no legal grounds to detain her.
The case has prompted significant safeguarding concerns, as Polish services are reportedly unable to monitor Lecka's movements or alert childcare institutions to her criminal history. Her exact location remains undisclosed, though she is reported to have landed at Warsaw Airport.
The deportation has drawn criticism from parents of Lecka's victims, who described the situation as "really hard to swallow" and called for child abusers to be ineligible for early release. One parent accused the government of prioritizing cost savings over systemic principles.
Lecka's abuse came to light after a colleague reported her unusual and "flustered" behavior at the nursery. Subsequent investigation, including CCTV footage review by Metropolitan Police, revealed incidents of pinching, scratching, kicking, and pushing children as young as ten months old. Footage also allegedly showed Lecka vaping near sleeping children.
During her trial, Lecka attributed her actions to sleep deprivation from cannabis use. Police interview footage released showed her appearing detached and unemotional when confronted with the evidence of her crimes, frequently responding "no comment" to officers' questions. The Crown Prosecution Service highlighted the "exceptional cruelty" of her actions and the scale of her abuse, noting that she targeted children when colleagues were absent or not looking.
Lecka was charged and convicted of child cruelty offenses involving repeated abuse over several months. Her case is now a focal point for discussions on safeguarding procedures and the handling of foreign nationals convicted of serious offenses, particularly those involving children.