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A woman has been charged with 25 counts relating to child abuse at a nursery in southwest London where parents pay up to £1,900 a month for childcare.
Detectives investigating concerns over the management and welfare of children at Twickenham Green Montessori have charged a staff member with a string of crimes.
Roksana Lecka, 21, from Hounslow, is accused of 12 counts of child cruelty, 12 counts of actual bodily harm and one count of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm.
She was remanded in custody and appeared at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 25 July.
The Metropolitan Police said officers from the South West area’s Child Abuse Investigation Team launched a fast-paced probe after concerns were reported on 2 July. Police have not said how many alleged victims are involved.
Lecka was arrested three days later and charged this week.
The Independent understands childcare sessions have been suspended at the nursery, where children aged four and under are cared for with monthly fees ranging from £589.15 to £1,893.
Part of a group of six nurseries in southwest London under the umbrella of Riverside Nursery Schools, Twickenham Green Montessori was rated “good” when it was inspected by Ofsted in March 2022.
Some children who attended the Twickenham Green branch are believed to have been found temporary places at other nurseries in the group.
Detective Superintendent Ian Cameron, from the South West area’s Public Protection team, said: “I understand the concern that this has caused in the community, especially for parents with young children in nursery.
“These are very serious allegations, which is why we swiftly launched a thorough investigation.
“We are continuing to work very closely with the nursery, Ofsted and the local authority and our enquiries continue.”
Lecka is due to appear at Kingston Crown Court on 21 August.
A spokesperson for Twickenham Green Nursery said: “We are unable to comment on the court case as legal proceedings are active. However, we can confirm that as soon as concerns were raised, the staff member was suspended. We followed the appropriate procedures and the relevant authorities were informed.
“Ofsted have suspended the nursery’s registration pending their investigation, which is standard procedure in these circumstances, and the children have been offered places in nearby nurseries.
“We have been communicating with the parents of children at our nursery to keep them informed of developments. The safety and welfare of all our children remains our number one priority.”
