Police in London have arrested a convicted sex offender who was mistakenly released from prison instead of being transferred to an immigration detention centre for deportation.
Hadush Kebatu, a 38-year-old Ethiopian national, was jailed in September for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl but was wrongly freed from HMP Chelmsford on Friday morning. He was supposed to be handed over to immigration authorities for deportation following the completion of his sentence.
According to the Metropolitan Police, Kebatu was detained around 8:30 a.m. on Sunday in Finsbury Park after a member of the public spotted him at a nearby bus stop. Officers quickly arrived at the scene and arrested him without incident. Images from the scene appeared to show him being led away by officers with his hands behind his back.
A nationwide manhunt had been launched after his accidental release. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed Kebatu’s re-arrest and said he will now be deported. “Officers have worked quickly and diligently to bring him back into custody,” Starmer said. “We have ordered an investigation to establish what went wrong. We must make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
Justice Secretary David Lammy also expressed his gratitude to the Metropolitan, Essex, and British Transport Police for their swift action. “Kebatu has been arrested, is now in custody and will be deported,” he said. “I have already ordered the immediate strengthening of release checks and a full investigation into what went wrong.”
Kebatu, who had been living at the Bell Hotel in Epping, entered the UK on a small boat earlier this year, just days before the July incidents that led to his conviction. Following a three-day trial at Chelmsford and Colchester Magistrates’ Courts, he was found guilty of five offences and sentenced to 12 months in prison. During sentencing, the court heard it was his “firm wish” to be deported.
The case sparked public outrage, leading to protests and counter-protests in Epping and at hotels housing asylum seekers across the country.
Commander James Conway of the Metropolitan Police said the arrest followed a “diligent and fast-paced investigation” involving multiple police forces. “Information from the public led officers to Finsbury Park,” he said. “I am extremely grateful to the public for their support following our appeal.”
A Prison Service spokesperson confirmed that a prison officer has been removed from duties while an investigation into the mistaken release is underway. “Public protection is our top priority,” the spokesperson said. “We are urgently working with police to ensure such an error cannot happen again.”
Aaron Stow, president of the Criminal Justice Workers’ Union, condemned the blunder, calling it “a profound failure of duty.”
