MP RAISES SUDDEN DEPORTATION OF CONVICTED NURSERY TEACHER
Local Lib Dem MP Munira Wilson has raised the issue of the unexpected deportation to Poland of Roksana Lecka, who was convicted of the abuse of children at Twickenham Green’s Riverside Nursery.
The nursery worker, now aged 23 was been convicted of abusing 21 babies, including kicking one little boy in the face and stepping on his shoulder and sentenced to eight years in prison in September at Kingston Crown Court..
The MP told the House of Commons the children’s parents had been given no information about whether Lecka will continue to serve the rest of her eight-year sentence or whether she will walk free.
Wilson said clear communication and transparency were key in child abuse cases.
“The parents of the 21 babies abused by Roksana Lecka at Riverside Nursery in Twickenham were given less than a week’s notice that she would be deported to Poland this Thursday.
“They fear, if left unsupervised, she will harm many more children.” Wilson called for information regarding Lecka’s release terms.
She said today: “Many of you will have heard about the horrendous case in Twickenham Green, Riverside Nursery, last year after nursery worker Roksana Lecka was convicted of “sadistic” abuse of children, including pinching, hitting and kicking while working at the nursery.
“The seriousness of her crimes cannot be understated, and the victims and families have gone through unimaginable trauma to see her Lecka sentenced to eight years in prison back in September.
“However, last Friday, the parents of Roksana Lecka’s victims were informed that Lecka was to be deported today, Thursday 5th February, just five months after she was sentenced.”
Munira has been urgently seeking answers from Ministers about Lecka’s deportation, so that the parents and children can be reassured Lecka will not walk free in Poland.
On Tuesday, Munira wrote an urgent letter to the Home Office on behalf of the parents, asking for a meeting to discuss the terms of Lecka’s deportation, and calling for assurances that Lecka would not be able to commit crimes like these ever again.
One parent told the BBC: “One of the parents whose child was abused by Lecka told BBC London they were “shocked, angry and frustrated” about news of her upcoming deportation.
“The expectation obviously was that that sentence would be served. And it now appears it’s not going to be.
“The reasoning behind custodial sentences, theoretically, is punishment for the offender, some form of rehabilitation and a deterrent to it happening again.
“In this case, the, the punishment hasn’t been served. It’s unclear if there’s been any rehabilitation.
“And in terms of a deterrent, if foreign nationals know that effectively they won’t even have to serve that sentence, then I don’t think that deterrent is there either.
“It just makes the process feel slightly pointless.”
In a letter sent to Munira Wilson on Wednesday, Alex Norris, minister for border security and asylum, said: “Whilst Lecka is not required to serve the remainder of her sentence in Poland, we have made Polish law enforcement aware of her convictions so that appropriate safeguarding actions can be taken by the Polish authorities.”