Hadush Kebatu was unintentionally released from a 12-month prison sentence after being convicted of sexually assaulting a teenage girl. Following a two-day search, he was recaptured—what are the next steps?

Kebatu, an asylum seeker from Ethiopia, crossed the English Channel in a small boat on June 29 after traveling through Sudan, Libya, Italy, and France. He was temporarily residing at the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, which was designated as accommodation for migrants.

On July 7, Kebatu made inappropriate comments to a 14-year-old girl who was enjoying a pizza with a friend in Epping’s town square. The following day, he assaulted a woman by trying to kiss her. Fatefully, he encountered the girl again and repeated his inappropriate behavior towards her.

Noticing Kebatu with the girl, the woman alerted the authorities by calling 999. His subsequent arrest sparked protests outside the hotel.

Kebatu was convicted of multiple charges, including two counts of sexual assault, harassment, inciting sexual activity with a minor, and attempted sexual assault. In September, he received a 12-month prison sentence and was mandated to enroll in the Sex Offenders Register for a decade while facing impending deportation.

However, on October 24, Kebatu was mistakenly released from HMP Chelmsford. Sources within the prison reported that he was actually intended for transfer to an immigration detention center prior to his deportation.

Reportedly, a delivery driver saw him return to the prison multiple times, appearing “confused,” only to be turned away toward the railway station.

This error is not an isolated incident within Chelmsford prison. Convicted fraudster Junead Ahmed was released while on remand after the prison received a fraudulent email that falsely claimed to authorize his release from the Royal Courts of Justice.

According to a report from His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, there were 262 erroneous releases of prisoners in England and Wales from April 2024 to March 2025, an increase from 115 the previous year.

HMP Chelmsford, a Category B men’s prison, accommodates approximately 750 male inmates aged over 18, including young offenders. The latest inspection report, covering January to February 2024, revealed significant issues, highlighting “substantial pressures… due to national capacity problems” and staff shortages in both the reception and pre-release teams.

Essex Police became aware of the mistaken release at 12:57 BST on Friday, just 16 minutes after Kebatu boarded a Greater Anglia train heading to east London, which made stops at Shenfield and Stratford. He was later spotted in Chelmsford city center soliciting help from passersby and was seen traversing London.

CCTV footage later captured him in a library at Dalston Square, still dressed in his grey prison tracksuit and carrying a white bag adorned with avocado prints. Without a phone or bank cards, tracking him was challenging for police, who relied on public tips and manually combed through footage to pinpoint his locations.

Ultimately, he was located in Finsbury Park, north London, shortly before 08:30 GMT on Sunday.

In a statement delivered by independent councillor Shane Yerrell of the Epping Forest District Council, the father of the 14-year-old victim expressed that his daughter had been gradually regaining her confidence. He shared that the news about Kebatu’s release had caused her significant distress and anxiety, leaving his family feeling “immensely let down and furious” with the prison system, police, justice authorities, and the government.

Marie Goldman, the Member of Parliament for Chelmsford, called Kebatu’s release astonishing. While she welcomed his arrest, she insisted that it did not absolve the “serious mistakes” made. “It’s unacceptable that the safety of my constituents and the residents of London was ever compromised,” she emphasized, calling for a “swift, national inquiry.”

In response to the incident, the prison service has instituted additional mandatory checks on prisoner releases, although senior staff indicated to the BBC that this would only add to their existing workload.

Former prison officials have informed the BBC that the prison service is currently overwhelmed.

Justice Secretary David Lammy stated that Kebatu would be deported “this week,” following an inquiry by police regarding his whereabouts since Friday. Lammy is set to make a statement in Parliament on Monday and will outline the parameters for a comprehensive independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the erroneous release.

The government has pledged to enhance funding for probation services to increase the availability of prison spaces. Lammy also pointed to the sentencing bill currently progressing through Parliament, asserting that it would “strengthen the system.”