The mistaken release of Hadush Kebatu, an Ethiopian migrant convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman in Epping, has sparked outrage, political finger-pointing, and renewed scrutiny of the United Kingdom’s prison and deportation systems. Kebatu, who was supposed to be deported after serving a custodial sentence, was instead erroneously set free from HMP Chelmsford on Friday, October 24, 2025. His unexpected return to the streets led to a nearly three-day manhunt, culminating in his arrest in Finsbury Park, north London, on Sunday morning, October 26, 2025.
According to BBC News, Kebatu’s release was the result of a series of administrative errors, likely exacerbated by overworked and short-staffed prison personnel. A senior prison staffer told the outlet, “It’s not just one prison officer who’s to blame. That would be unfair.” The incident is not isolated: a report from His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service revealed that 262 prisoners in England and Wales were released in error between April 2024 and March 2025, a sharp increase from 115 the previous year.
Justice Secretary David Lammy, speaking from Wood Green police station, announced that Kebatu would be deported “this week.” He also promised to outline the terms of reference for a full independent inquiry into the mistaken release in Parliament on Monday, October 27, 2025. Lammy stated, “This man should have been basically in line to be deported and should not have been released into the community, that should not have happened.” He assured the public that Kebatu would be deported as planned, but not before being questioned by police.
Kebatu’s offenses were grave and disturbing. In September 2025, he was sentenced to 12 months in prison for five offenses, including the sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl and a woman. The incidents took place in July 2025, just days after Kebatu arrived in Britain by small boat and was placed in The Bell Hotel in Epping, a facility housing newly arrived migrants. During his trial at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court, the court heard that Kebatu tried to kiss a teenage girl on a bench, made numerous sexually explicit comments, and, the following day, attempted to kiss her again before sexually assaulting her. He also sexually assaulted a woman who had offered to help him draft a CV. The judge told Kebatu his behavior “really highlights the poor regard you must have for women.”
As part of his sentence, Kebatu was subjected to a five-year sexual harm prevention order, banning him from approaching or contacting any female, and was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years. During court proceedings, Kebatu gave his date of birth as December 1986, making him 38, but Essex Police records indicate he may be 41.
The mistaken release triggered a swift and coordinated response from law enforcement. Essex Police were first made aware of the error at 12:57 pm on Friday, but Kebatu had already boarded a London-bound train at 12:41 pm. CCTV footage later showed him in a Dalston library at 6:00 pm, still wearing his prison-issue grey tracksuit and carrying a white bag with pictures of avocados. The Metropolitan Police, led by Commander James Conway, took over the search, issuing appeals and releasing images to the public. Conway described the investigation as “diligent and fast-paced,” crediting the public with assisting in Kebatu’s capture. “Information from the public led officers to Finsbury Park and following a search, they located Mr. Kebatu. He was detained by police, but will be returned to the custody of the Prison Service,” Conway said in a statement.
Eyewitness Jack Neill-Hall, who spotted Kebatu being arrested in Finsbury Park, told the PA news agency, “He wasn’t struggling, he was walking quite calmly, a bit dejectedly, he was staring down, he had his hood up, but it was a calm situation.” Another witness, a delivery driver, described Kebatu returning to HMP Chelmsford in a “very confused” state several times, only to be turned away by prison staff and directed to the railway station. Media reports, including Sky News, indicate Kebatu himself was baffled by his release and even attempted to return to prison, only to be rebuffed.
In the wake of Kebatu’s arrest, Justice Secretary Lammy and Health Secretary Wes Streeting both condemned the release. Streeting told the BBC, “The justice secretary has ordered an investigation into how on earth it was that a dangerous man who was due for deportation was instead released onto our streets. That work is under way, we will be open and transparent with the public about what went wrong and what we’re going to do about it.”
The case has reignited debate over the UK’s handling of foreign national offenders and the capacity of its prison system. Former Conservative Justice Secretary Alex Chalk told BBC Breakfast, “The entire annual budget of the Ministry of Justice is spent by the Department for Work and Pensions in two weeks. My constant plea is to try to ensure the prison service gets the resources it requires to ensure we are recruiting and retaining people with skills and experience to make sure these problems don’t happen.” Liberal Democrat MP for Chelmsford, Marie Goldman, echoed the call for a national inquiry, declaring, “It’s unacceptable that the safety of my constituents, and the people of London, was ever put at risk.”
The mistaken release also reignited public tensions around migration. Kebatu’s initial arrest in July had already sparked anti-migrant protests outside The Bell Hotel in Epping and at other hotels housing asylum seekers across the country. Some demonstrations, as reported by The Independent, included far-right activists and became disorderly, while counterprotests were staged by groups such as Stand Up to Racism. The government’s handling of the case has drawn criticism from across the political spectrum. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said he remained “shocked that this inept Labour government let him out in the first place,” while Reform UK leader Nigel Farage claimed the incident was evidence of the “disintegration” of the UK’s once-trusted institutions.
As the government prepares to face questions in Parliament, the Kebatu case stands as a stark example of the challenges facing Britain’s justice and immigration systems. The independent inquiry promised by Justice Secretary Lammy will be closely watched, not only by politicians and activists but by a public concerned about safety, accountability, and the integrity of national institutions.
For now, Hadush Kebatu is back in custody and, according to officials, will soon be deported. But the questions raised by his mistaken release—and the broader issues it highlights—are unlikely to fade soon.
