Health

Mistaken release of wanted migrant sex offender exposes systemic flaws and safety risks in UK prison and immigration policies

Sunday, 26 October 2025 9:13AM UTC

The accidental freeing of Hadush Kebatu, a wanted sex offender, highlights increasing errors in UK prison releases, systemic capacity pressures, and ongoing debates over migrant housing and public safety.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has condemned the accidental release of Hadush Kebatu, a wanted migrant sex offender, as a "serious failure" of the state. Kebatu, an Ethiopian national jailed for a year for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in Epping, Essex, was mistakenly freed from HMP Chelmsford instead of being transferred to an immigration detention centre. Following his release, Kebatu travelled from Chelmsford to Stratford and was last seen in Hackney, east London. Authorities are intensifying efforts to locate him, with the Metropolitan Police urging him to come forward safely. The case has sparked outrage, highlighting systemic issues within the prison and immigration systems.

Kebatu's initial offences, committed soon after arriving in the UK by small boat, led to significant public unrest. His assault involved inappropriate sexual advances towards a teenager, followed by an incident involving a woman. After serving part of his sentence, Kebatu had expressed a clear desire to be deported. Despite this, his premature release allowed him to move freely in London with access to funds, raising serious safety concerns. A delivery driver reported seeing Kebatu multiple times attempting to re-enter the prison, appearing confused and distressed, with staff reportedly directing him away without clear guidance about his next steps.

This incident not only underscores individual failings but also reflects broader systemic pressures. Government statistics reveal a sharp increase in prisoners mistakenly released in England and Wales—from 115 cases in the year to March 2024 to 262 in the year ending March 2025, marking a 128% rise. While the Ministry of Justice and His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) describe these errors as infrequent, they attribute the rise partly to changes in the law that have reduced mandatory prison terms as a measure against overcrowding. The report also points to "considerable pressures" at HMP Chelmsford due to national capacity issues and staff shortages, particularly in reception and pre-release teams.

The case has reignited intense debate over the government’s handling of migrants and asylum seekers. The use of hotels like the Bell Hotel in Epping to house such individuals has been controversial, attracting protests and counter-protests with strong reactions from different political factions. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has criticised the policy, stating that nobody entering via small boats should be allowed to roam freely in the UK. Meanwhile, the Labour government faces scrutiny over the early release scheme introduced in September 2024, aimed at reducing jail overcrowding by lowering the proportion of custodial sentences served. Some experts warn that this scheme may inadvertently increase public safety risks by facilitating errors in prisoner processing.

The prison service is conducting an investigation, and a prison officer involved in the discharge of prisoners has been suspended pending the outcome. More broadly, data shows that mistaken prisoner releases have reached record highs in recent years, with a minority of those prematurely freed serving sentences for violent or sexual offences. The Ministry of Justice continues to face pressure to improve procedures and ensure public protection. This episode serves as a stark reminder of the complicated challenges inherent in balancing prison population management, immigration control, and community safety in the UK.

📌 Reference Map:

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Paragraph 2 – ^[1] (Express), ^[4] (GB News)
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Paragraph 4 – ^[1] (Express), ^[2] (AP News), ^[4] (GB News)
Paragraph 5 – ^[5] (GB News), ^[6] (Evening Standard), ^[7] (Gov.uk)

Source: Noah Wire Services

More on this

https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/2126068/british-state-has-been-made - Please view link - unable to able to access data
https://apnews.com/article/f3645b08ede2a9d8fd386c160f52a138 - An Ethiopian asylum-seeker, Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, was mistakenly released from Chelmsford prison ahead of his planned deportation. His case had previously triggered widespread anti-migrant protests during the summer, particularly in Epping, where the assault occurred. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed outrage over the error and confirmed that police were urgently searching for Kebatu, who was last seen boarding a train. An investigation into the incident has been launched, and a prison officer has been removed from duty pending the outcome. Kebatu, convicted of multiple offenses including sexual assault, harassment, and inciting a minor to engage in sexual activity, had expressed a desire to return to Ethiopia after serving his sentence. His release has reignited tensions over migrant housing policies under the Labour government, particularly the controversial use of hotels for housing asylum-seekers, which critics argue is costly and causes friction in host communities. The case continues to fuel social division, with far-right protests and counter-demonstrations from anti-racism groups.
https://news.sky.com/story/how-many-prisoners-are-released-by-mistake-here-are-the-stats-as-search-for-migrant-sex-offender-continues-13457029 - The manhunt for a migrant who sexually assaulted a schoolgirl, and was released from prison in error, is ongoing. Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu was jailed for 12 months earlier this year after he sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl and a woman in Epping. He had been staying in the Bell Hotel in Epping and his arrest triggered large-scale protests and disorder. The Ethiopian national, who came to the UK on a small boat in the summer, is now being searched for by the police after he was accidentally freed on Friday. According to government statistics published in July, 262 prisoners were released in error in the 12 months to March 2025 - a 128% increase from 115 the previous year. The report states: "Of the 262 releases in error, 233 of these releases in error occurred from prison establishments, while 29 were released in error at the courts."
https://www.gbnews.com/news/hadush-kebatu-prison-epping-migrant-release-wrongly-released - Epping hotel migrant Hadush Kebatu spotted speaking to locals after accidental prison release. The Epping migrant hotel sex attacker fled the scene, boarding a train to London. He joins "more than 260 inmates [who] were also released in error in the 12 months to March 2025", in a series of major blunders by the UK's justice system. The report by His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) noted that those released in error has doubled in the previous year, up from 115. HMPPS noted in the report that the releases in error "remain infrequent" and believes the rise is linked to changes in the law. Thousands of inmates have been freed early since then in a bid to cut jail overcrowding.
https://www.gbnews.com/news/prisoners-released-mistake-hits-record-high - New data has revealed the Ministry of Justice released 87 people too early last year. New data has revealed prison bosses have freed a record number of prisoners by mistake. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) released 87 people too early last year, with a total of 308 people over the last five years having been mistakenly freed too soon. Of the 308, at least 41 were serving sentences for violent crimes, while another seven were sex offenders and 21 were in prison on drugs charges. The majority of accidental early releases are due to errors over paperwork. The number of prisoners mistakenly released has hit record highs.
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/ministry-of-justice-government-wales-labour-england-b1254845.html - A report by His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service said 262 prisoners were released in error from April 2024 to March 2025. The number of prisoners released in error more than doubled in the year to March 2025, Government data shows. A report by His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) said 262 prisoners were released in error from April 2024 to March 2025, up from 115 in the year to March 2024. HMPPS said in the report that releases in error "remain infrequent" and believes the rise is linked to changes in the law, and the early release scheme which Labour introduced in September 2024. Thousands of inmates have been freed early since then in a bid to cut jail overcrowding, by temporarily reducing the proportion of sentences which some prisoners must serve behind bars in England and Wales from 50% to 40%.
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hmpps-annual-digest-april-2024-to-march-2025/hmpps-annual-digest-2024-to-2025--2 - The number of escapes has increased. There were 12 escapes in the 12 months to March 2025, 2 of which remained still at large 30 days after escape. This is an increase from 9 in the year ending March 2024. The number of absconds has decreased. There were 57 absconds in the year to March 2025, a 2% decrease from 58 absconds in the previous 12 months. Of the 57 prisoners who absconded, 26% (15 prisoners) remained at large for over 30 days. The number of Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) failures has decreased. There were 863 temporary release failures in the year to March 2025, of which, 44 were failures to return, and 12 of these were still at large after 30 days. The number of temporary release failures decreased by 12% from 985 the previous year. In the same period ROTL decreased by 10% from the previous year (from 425,095 to 381,983). The number of releases in error has increased. There were 262 prisoners released in error in the latest year, an increase of 128% from 115 in the year ending March 2024.

Noah Fact Check Pro

The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may warrant further investigation.

Freshness check

Score: 10

Notes: The narrative is based on a recent press release, dated 25 October 2025, detailing the accidental release of Hadush Kebatu from HMP Chelmsford. This incident has been widely reported in reputable outlets, including the BBC and The Independent, confirming the freshness of the information. ([feeds.bbci.co.uk](https://feeds.bbci.co.uk/news/articles/cdx4k2d5yxlo?utm_source=openai))

Quotes check

Score: 10

Notes: Direct quotes from Health Secretary Wes Streeting and other officials are consistent across multiple reputable sources, indicating originality and no signs of recycled content. ([feeds.bbci.co.uk](https://feeds.bbci.co.uk/news/articles/cdx4k2d5yxlo?utm_source=openai))

Source reliability

Score: 10

Notes: The narrative originates from a press release issued by the UK government, a reputable organisation, ensuring high reliability. The incident has been corroborated by multiple reputable news outlets, including the BBC and The Independent, further validating the information. ([feeds.bbci.co.uk](https://feeds.bbci.co.uk/news/articles/cdx4k2d5yxlo?utm_source=openai))

Plausability check

Score: 10

Notes: The claims regarding the accidental release of Hadush Kebatu and the subsequent manhunt are plausible and have been reported by multiple reputable sources, including the BBC and The Independent. ([feeds.bbci.co.uk](https://feeds.bbci.co.uk/news/articles/cdx4k2d5yxlo?utm_source=openai))

Overall assessment

Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS

Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH

Summary: The narrative is based on a recent press release detailing the accidental release of Hadush Kebatu from HMP Chelmsford. The information is fresh, original, and corroborated by multiple reputable sources, including the BBC and The Independent, confirming the accuracy and reliability of the report.

Prison system
Immigration policy
Public safety