Independent inquiry to be launched into how sex offender was mistakenly set free, says David Lammy
Justice Secretary David Lammy has announced that an independent investigation will be launched into how a sex offender was mistakenly released rather than deported, with its findings to be reported within weeks.
Mr Lammy told MPs that Dame Lynne Owens, a former deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and former director general of the National Crime Agency, would examine what went wrong and make recommendations to stop similar cases.
Police had to urgently find Hadush Kebatu at the weekend after he was released from HMP Chelmsford in a blunder that sparked widespread anger.
An Ethiopian national was sentenced to 12 months in prison for sexually assaulting a teenage girl in September, but was mistakenly released instead of being sent to an immigration detention center on Friday.
The deputy prime minister and justice minister said Dame Lynne would establish the facts surrounding Kebatu’s release and whether staff had sufficient experience, training and technology, as well as speak to his victims to understand the impact of the mistake on them.
“The report will highlight points of failure and make recommendations to help prevent faulty releases, which have increased every year since 2021, from an average of nine per month in 2023 to 17 per month from January to June 2024,” Mr Lammy said.
He promised the investigation would have the same status as other prison incidents, including the attack on three prison officers at HMP Frankland in April and the escape of Daniel Khalife from HMP Wandsworth in 2023.
He said the error resulted from what appeared to be human error and that there were national security concerns.
Mr Lammy announced that release controls would also be tightened and that in future deported foreign prisoners would only be released if the governor on duty was physically present.
He blamed a real 24 per cent cut in prison funding under the previous government, saying 800 were wrongly released under the Conservatives and a lack of fully independent investigations.
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“On behalf of the victims and the public, I am outraged that this mistake was allowed to be made,” he said.
Mr Lammy told MPs Kebatu was about to be deported.
Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick said Kebatu’s mistaken release was a national shame because the criminal had sought deportation five times.
Charlie Taylor, chief inspector of prisons, said early, accidental or even late release of prisoners was now a “widespread problem”.
According to government figures, 262 prisoners were mistakenly released by March; This represents a 128 percent increase over the previous 12 months, while 115 prisoners were released by mistake.
The government says it will build 14,000 more prison places and reform sentencing to tackle overcrowding.
