Sex offender released by mistake
David Lammy has announced that there will be an independent investigation into the accidental release of a migrant who was jailed for sex offenses, attributing the incident to “human error.”
The deputy prime minister and justice secretary expressed his outrage to MPs, stating he was “livid” on behalf of Hadush Kebatu’s victims, and assured that Kebatu would be deported back to Ethiopia “as quickly as possible.”
Kebatu, who was convicted in September for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman in Epping, was mistakenly released from HMP Chelmsford in Essex on Friday instead of being handed over to immigration officials for deportation.
This blunder triggered widespread concern and led to a manhunt, culminating in his capture by the Metropolitan Police in the Finsbury Park area of London around 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, October 26, 2025.
The situation has raised serious questions about how someone like him, whose actions ignited protests in Epping regarding the use of asylum hotels, could have been released in the first place.
While addressing MPs in the House of Commons, Lammy emphasized that such a mistake should never have occurred, pointing fingers at the Conservatives for the state of the prison system over the last 14 years.
He said, “there must and there will be accountability” for the mistaken release of Kebatu from prison.
“I’ve been clear from the outset that a mistake of this nature is unacceptable,” he said.
“We must get to the bottom of what happened and take immediate action to try and prevent similar releases in error to protect the public from harm.”
Lammy mentioned that he has called for an “urgent review” of the procedures in place for checking offenders when they are released from prison. He emphasized that new safeguards have been introduced, creating what he described as the “strongest release checks ever implemented.”
The justice secretary also shared that the investigation will be headed by Dame Lynne Owens, a former deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, who previously led the National Crime Agency.
Additionally, he pointed out that this investigation will hold the same significance as other high-profile inquiries into prison incidents, such as the attack on three prison officers at HMP Franklin back in April and the escape of Daniel Khalife from HMP Wandsworth in 2023.
Sex offender released by mistake
