Summary of the Mistaken Release of Hadush Kebatu
Background
Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, a 38-year-old Ethiopian national and refused asylum seeker, arrived in the UK by small boat in early July 2025. He was housed at the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex—a government-contracted facility for asylum seekers—when he committed sexual assaults. On July 13, 2025, Kebatu sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl (including attempting to kiss her and inciting sexual activity) and a woman in the area. His arrest sparked widespread anti-migrant protests and riots across England and Wales in August 2025, with demonstrations outside the Bell Hotel escalating into violence, fueled by far-right groups.
Conviction and Sentence
In September 2025, Kebatu was convicted at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court of two counts of sexual assault, harassment, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and attempted sexual assault. He was sentenced to 12 months in prison and made subject to a five-year sexual harm prevention order. As a foreign national offender, he was slated for deportation to Ethiopia upon completion of his sentence.
The Mistaken Release
On October 24, 2025 (a Friday), after serving just 31 days of his sentence, Kebatu was erroneously released from HMP Chelmsford in Essex. Prison staff, mistaking his deportation paperwork, handed him a £76 discharge grant and directed him to Chelmsford railway station instead of transferring him to an immigration detention center. Eyewitness accounts described Kebatu appearing “confused” and returning to the prison multiple times before leaving. He was last seen in Chelmsford wearing a grey prison tracksuit before traveling to London.
The error stemmed from administrative oversights, possibly including misspelled names or incorrect file handling, amid broader systemic issues in UK prisons. Government data shows 262 mistaken releases occurred in England and Wales in the year to March 2025, with HMP Chelmsford having released another prisoner in error in 2023. One discharging manager was suspended, though the Prison Officers’ Association (POA) called this “unjust scapegoating,” arguing senior staff were also involved and that understaffing, poor training, and “chaos” in the sector contributed.
Manhunt and Rearrest
A multi-force manhunt involving the Metropolitan Police, Essex Police, and British Transport Police ensued. CCTV footage captured Kebatu in Dalston, Hackney, on October 24, and later in a Finsbury Park library. Lacking phone tracking or bank activity, he proved elusive but was located via public tips. On October 26, 2025 (Sunday morning), he was arrested peacefully in Finsbury Park, north London, at around 8:30 GMT, on suspicion of being unlawfully at large. He was transferred to HMP Wormwood Scrubs.
Aftermath and Reactions
The incident drew sharp criticism. The victim’s father described it as “unbelievably irresponsible,” saying it caused his daughter “so much stress and anxiety” and left the family feeling “massively let down and infuriated.” He feared Kebatu could reoffend. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer ordered a full investigation, vowing to prevent recurrences. Justice Secretary David Lammy called it “totally unacceptable,” announced Kebatu’s deportation to Ethiopia on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, and planned new safeguards, including mandatory release procedures. Opposition figures, including Tory shadow home secretary Chris Philp, labeled it “staggering incompetence,” while Reform UK’s Zia Yusuf likened it to a “Monty Python sketch.”
The case highlighted tensions in the UK’s immigration and prison systems, with unions decrying budget cuts and the chief inspector of prisons noting such errors happen “all the time.” Lammy was set to address Parliament on October 27, 2025.