Number of prisoners released by mistake more than DOUBLED in a year, figures show – as police continue manhunt for sex offender migrant accidentally freed early

Government figures show the number of prisoners mistakenly released more than doubled in the period to March.

A report by the prison service said 262 inmates were mistakenly released during this period, compared to just 115 inmates by March 2024.

It comes after police launched a massive manhunt for 41-year-old immigrant sex attacker Hadush Kebatu, who was today released from prison rather than deported.

The Ethiopian national, who arrived in the UK on a small boat, had to be transferred from HMP Chelmsford to an immigration removal centre.

Police confirmed Kebatu boarded the train to London at Chelmsford railway station at 12.41am today after being released by mistake.

Last month, he was sentenced to 12 months in prison for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and groping a woman who came to help him.

Chelmsford MP Marie Goldman said the latest figures showed Kebatu’s accidental release was not “an accidental problem”.

‘I don’t know how you can describe it any other way,’ the Liberal Democrat politician said.

Kebatu, 41, was supposed to be sent to an immigration detention center for deportation but was accidentally released

‘I’ve said this many times, but I’m confused how this could happen.’

He added that HMP Chelmsford’s status as a remand prison meant it had to ‘get used to prisoners coming and going’.

He said: ‘I think it’s quite important to understand Chelmsford and why it’s a bigger failure than we thought.

‘All prisons are used to prisoners coming and going. But when it’s a detention centre, your prisoners come and go more frequently.’

He added: ‘I understand they have suspended a member of staff. I think it’s much bigger than a staff member.

‘How can it be the responsibility of a single member of staff to decide whether or how to release a prisoner?

‘So I think there are some very big questions to be answered about this.’

Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) suggested in its latest report that cases of prisoners being released by mistake ‘remain infrequent’.

But he believes the latest increase is linked to changes in the law and Labor’s early release scheme introduced in September last year.

Thousands of prisoners have been released early under plans aimed at reducing overcrowding in prisons.

Ethiopian national Kebatu (pictured) tried to kiss a female student before touching a woman who came to his aid in a series of crimes in July.

Kebatu’s arrest sparked a wave of anti-immigrant protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers across the country, including outside the Bell Hotel where he was staying (pictured)

The time some prisoners spent behind bars was seen to drop from 50 percent to 40 percent.

HMPPS said some of the 262 people were mistakenly released when the early release scheme began due to an issue with the repeal of the restraining order breach offence.

The report, published this summer, stated that these prisoners were rearrested and detained.

Prisoners are considered to be ‘mistakenly released’ if they are released from prison or court by mistake, and this can also happen if a sentence is miscalculated or the wrong person is released, among other reasons.

HMPPS said year-to-year changes in the number of prisoners mistakenly released ‘must be considered in the context of changes in the number of releases and the operational environment over the same time period’.

Kebatu, who sparked nationwide protests after sexually assaulting a woman and a 14-year-old girl, remains at large after his release this morning.

Videos circulating on social media show a man matching his description chatting to people in Chelmsford town center before pointing to his right.

The man is wearing a gray tracksuit and carrying a clear plastic bag containing a copy of the Salvation Army’s Battle Cry magazine, which was popular in the prison.

Police confirmed Ketabu boarded a train to London from Chelmsford railway station in Essex at 12.41pm today.

Around 100 protesters gathered outside The Roundhouse hotel, which is housing asylum seekers, in Bournemouth on Friday

Sir Keir Starmer said the mistake was “completely unacceptable”, adding that the Government supported police trying to catch him.

An eyewitness said he saw a man matching Kebatu’s description on Chelmsford main street asking for directions to the railway station.

The man in his 40s, who did not want to give his name, said: ‘I work and live in the city centre. That man was here around 13:00 and stood out.

‘He was asking for directions to the train station, which was about a 20-minute walk from where he was.

‘He had his belongings with him. He looked lost and confused. I thought he was in a bad situation.

A senior justice source today described Ketabu’s release as the ‘mother of all messes’ and said it was due to human error.

It is understood that a prison officer has been suspended while the urgent investigation continues.

A Prison Service spokesman said: ‘We are working urgently with the police to take an offender back into custody after he was mistakenly released from HMP Chelmsford.

‘The protection of the public is our top priority and we have launched an investigation into this incident.’

The Ministry of Justice was contacted for comment.