Hadush Kebatu, 41, from Ethiopia, was released from Chelmsford Prison in Essex on Friday due to what officials described as “human error”, just four weeks into a 12-month sentence for sexually assaulting a teenage girl and a woman.
The blunder triggered a nationwide manhunt and outrage across Westminster after it emerged that Kebatu, an asylum seeker who had arrived in the UK by small boat in June was due to be deported to Ethiopia within days.
‘He Didn’t Know Where He Was Going’
A delivery driver who witnessed the chaotic scene said Kebatu appeared “confused” and “stressed”, repeatedly asking officers for help before being directed to the nearby railway station.
“He came out of the airlock and kept saying, ‘Where am I going? What am I doing?’” the witness, identified as Sim, told Sky News. “He was standing around the prison for about an hour and a half before one of the officers told him how to get to the station. In my eyes, he wanted to do the right thing, he just didn’t know what was happening.”
Kebatu, dressed in a grey prison-issue tracksuit and carrying a clear plastic bag containing his belongings including a copy of The War Cry magazine was filmed walking through Chelmsford town centre shortly after noon on Friday.
He was mistakenly released on licence with a subsistence payment of around £76 and later purchased a train ticket to London for £20.90.
Police Search and Public Sightings
The Metropolitan Police took over the search on Saturday morning and confirmed that Kebatu was last seen in Dalston, east London, around 8pm on Friday. He had swapped his clear prison bag for a white carrier bag decorated with pictures of avocados and was spotted visiting a library in Dalston Square.
Commander James Conway of Scotland Yard urged him to hand himself in, warning that the manhunt would continue “until he is found”. Police believe he has travelled on multiple trains across London and may have access to funds.
As of Saturday night, Kebatu’s whereabouts remained unknown.
Government Outrage and Prison Failures
Justice Secretary David Lammy is said to be “livid” over the blunder and has ordered a full investigation into how the release occurred.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting described the mistake as an “egregious failure”, saying:
“This man was behind bars for serious sex offences. He is not meant to be in this country, he was meant to be deported. The idea that he’s loose on our streets is incredibly serious.”
In response, the Prison Service has introduced new mandatory pre-release checks requiring prison governors to sign off every inmate’s discharge the night before release. One officer at Chelmsford has already been removed from duty pending investigation.
Systemic Breakdown
Chelmsford is a Category B prison housing more than 700 male offenders. Its most recent inspection highlighted “considerable pressures” and staff shortages in both reception and pre-release units.
Former prison governor John Podmore said the incident should be seen as part of a wider systemic failure.
“This is not one person making one mistake,” he told BBC Radio 4. “There should be checks by multiple people up and down the hierarchy.”
Figures show that 262 prisoners were released in error across England and Wales in the year to March more than double the 115 recorded the previous year.
The father of Kebatu’s 14-year-old victim visited Chelmsford Prison on Friday night demanding answers, saying the justice system had “let his family down”.
