"Monster" educator goes on trial, bit and raped 23 babies

A worker at a private nursery in the UK is accused of punching, biting and kicking 23 babies in violent attacks caught on security cameras.

Educator Roksana Lecka is suspected of leaving the children with scratches on their faces and necks and puncture marks on the inside of their legs and stomachs.

The 22-year-old is accused of "serious harm" to babies over a six-month period while working at the Riverside Nursery in Twickenham, South West London.

The nursery, which costs up to £1,900 a month to care for children aged between 18 months and two years, follows the Montessori teaching method.

Jurors in court heard that 23 of the children were injured at the nursery, while the 24th charge of child cruelty refers to an incident that allegedly occurred before Lecka was investigated for recent incidents at another nursery.

Kingston Crown Court heard there were no apparent safeguarding issues when Lecka was hired. But last summer, babysitting security cameras showed the 22-year-old biting a baby, leaving red marks on him.

In the footage shown in court, Lecka is also seen biting the legs, back and armpits of a girl, who is seen crying.

Further footage reportedly showed him grabbing the side of a girl's face and violently grabbing her hair. Lacka can be seen using an e-cigarette in another clip before grabbing a baby from a crib and squeezing and punching her in the ribs.

One of the infants who fell victim to the violent educator was sitting at a table when Lecka repeatedly bit her, causing the girl to cry. She then allegedly grabbed the little girl by the arm and pulled her hair as her head hit the table.

A colleague reported seeing the 22-year-old educator attacking a boy by squeezing his legs, and after this denunciation by staff, an investigation was launched that prompted the school principal to check the security cameras.

The court heard that police checked a month's worth of security cameras and found that 23 babies had been "mistreated in some way" .

Lecka was arrested on July 5 last year and in a statement denied attacking any children at the Riverside nursery.

"I went to work that day and had a normal day. There were no accidents where any children appeared to be injured. We have procedures for treating children, which I have followed. I am not aware of how any injuries were caused to these children," she said.

Lecka has admitted two counts of cruelty to children, but denies 21 other criminal offenses, as the trial continues. (A2 Televizion)