An independent inquiry into how a migrant sex offender was mistakenly released from prison will look at how to prevent further “rising” releases in error, the Justice Secretary said.
Ethiopian national Hadush Kebatu was wrongly freed from HMP Chelmsford on Friday morning instead of being sent to an immigration detention centre.
He was set for deportation under an early removals scheme (ERS) for foreign national offenders, but was released into the community in “what appears to have been in human error”, David Lammy told MPs.
The migrant, who had been living at the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex when he sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl and a woman, later travelled to London and was arrested on Sunday morning in Finsbury Park after a two-day manhunt.
In the Commons on Monday, Mr Lammy confirmed stronger release checks will come into force immediately while shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick branded the incident a “national embarrassment”.
Mr Lammy said: “I’ve been clear from the outset that a mistake of this nature is unacceptable.
“We must get to the bottom of what happened and take immediate action to try and prevent similar releases in error to protect the public from harm.”
Former Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner Dame Lynne Owens will chair the probe and will speak to the victims in the case about how the incident impacted on them, Mr Lammy said.
He added: “Her report will highlight points of failure and make recommendations to help prevent further releases in error, which have been rising year on year since 2021 – going from nine per month on average in 2023, to 17 per month in the period spanning January to June 2024.
“And I’m clear that a single release in error is one too many, which is why we have launched this independent investigation.”
A prison officer has been suspended while the probe takes place.
The deputy prime minister also said he ordered an “urgent review” into the checks that take place when someone is released from prison, and that new safeguards have been added that amount to the “strongest release checks that have ever been in place”.
As well as further accountability for senior staff to check processes, Mr Lammy also said that no removals from HMP Chelmsford under the ERS will take place this week.
Foreign criminals facing deportation will also be able to be released from prison only when a duty governor is physically present under the changes, Mr Lammy said.
