An Ethiopian sex offender who assaulted a 14-year-old girl and a woman was mistakenly released from prison and has been seen boarding a London-bound train, Essex police have confirmed. Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 41, was jailed for 12 months in September for sexual assault and was due to be transferred to an immigration detention centre for deportation. However, a human error at HMP Chelmsford led to his release on Friday morning.
Police said Kebatu was spotted at Chelmsford railway station at 12.41pm on Friday, catching a train towards London. The deputy prime minister, David Lammy, said the offender was now “at large in London” and the Metropolitan police was assisting in the search. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he was “appalled” by the error, adding: “This man must be caught and deported for his crimes.”
Kebatu arrived in the UK on a small boat days before his attack in July, and was staying at the Bell Hotel in Epping. He was found guilty of two counts of sexual assault, one of attempted sexual assault, one of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity, and one of harassment without violence. His case triggered far-right protests outside the hotel, leading to assaults on police and 32 arrests.
Prison Service sources said the release was due to a high volume of releases being processed by inexperienced staff. The prison officer who authorised the release has been removed from duties while an investigation takes place. A Prison Service spokesperson said: “We are urgently working with police to return an offender to custody following a release in error.”
Opposition politicians condemned the mistake. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said: “The Epping hotel migrant sex attacker … is now walking the streets of Essex. Britain is broken.” Shadow home secretary Chris Philp called it “breathtaking incompetence” that put children at risk. Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick noted that local mothers who had protested outside the hotel were previously criticised.
