In a shocking breach of prison security that has raised serious questions about Britain's justice system, a convicted sex attacker was freely guided back to his cell by prison staff after spending 90 minutes wandering outside HMP Wandsworth's walls.
Mohammed Aliraj, an Iranian migrant convicted of sexually assaulting a teenage boy, managed to walk out of the Category B prison on Tuesday afternoon and remained in the vicinity for an hour and a half before being noticed and escorted back inside.
The Great Escape That Wasn't
In what can only be described as a farcical security failure, Aliraj - who was approaching the end of his sentence - simply strolled out of the prison and remained visible outside the perimeter for an extended period. Rather than attempting to flee, the confused inmate lingered near the prison entrance, apparently disoriented and uncertain about his whereabouts.
An urgent manhunt was launched when prison authorities realised Aliraj was missing, with officers scouring the surrounding areas of south-west London. The search concluded not with a dramatic capture, but with staff essentially showing the lost convict the way back to his cell.
Systemic Failures Exposed
This incident exposes alarming vulnerabilities in one of Britain's most notorious prisons, which currently houses other high-profile inmates including Daniel Khalife, the suspected terrorist who escaped from the same facility just last year.
"This wasn't so much an escape as a walk in the park," a prison source revealed. "He was outside for 90 minutes, confused and disorientated, before staff basically guided him back inside. It's an absolute embarrassment and shows how broken the system is."
Political Fallout and Public Safety Concerns
The Ministry of Justice has launched an urgent investigation into the incident, which occurred despite previous promises of tightened security following Khalife's escape. Shadow Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood declared: "The British public will be rightly alarmed that a convicted sex offender was able to simply wander out of a prison."
This latest security breach at HMP Wandsworth raises urgent questions about staffing levels, procedural compliance, and the overall management of Britain's prison estate. With a history of overcrowding and understaffing, this incident suggests systemic problems that extend far beyond one confused inmate's unusual departure.
