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Prisons across England and Wales will be implementing additional checks starting on Monday in response to a migrant sex offender being mistakenly released from HMP Chelmsford last week. Hadush Kebatu, who was released in error, sparked a manhunt that ended with his arrest in London on Sunday.
Justice Secretary David Lammy is set to address Parliament on Monday following an independent inquiry into how Kebatu was able to walk free instead of being deported. The government has directed governors to introduce new procedures to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
Despite the government’s decision to introduce extra checks, some senior prison staff have criticized the move, stating that it will only further burden an already overwhelmed system. Kebatu, who had previously been sentenced for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman in Epping, Essex, was living in an asylum hotel after arriving in the UK on a small boat.
His arrest triggered protests and inquiries to prevent such issues from happening again. Lammy confirmed that Kebatu is scheduled for deportation later this week. Meanwhile, a prison officer at HMP Chelmsford has been suspended, with a senior prison employee attributing the mistaken release to a series of errors likely due to staff shortages and overwork.
A report from His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service revealed that there were 262 cases of prisoners being released in error between April 2024 and March 2025 in England and Wales. This figure marked a significant increase from the previous year and raised concerns about the state of the prison system.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting acknowledged the strain on the Prison Service but emphasized that this does not justify the release of individuals who pose a danger to the public. Calls for an inquiry and deportation of Kebatu have been echoed by various political figures, highlighting the need for systemic improvements to prevent such incidents from recurring
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