As noted by CNN
London – British police have arrested a person who had sought asylum and who had been mistakenly released from prison on Friday after serving a 12-month sentence for sexual assault following a swift and complex manhunt.
The Ethiopian citizen Hadush Kebatu was convicted in September of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl while staying at the Bell Hotel in Epping, England – a hotel near London used by the government to house asylum seekers.
“Hadush Kebatu, who had been mistakenly released from Chelmsford Prison on Friday morning, was arrested.”
He was arrested by officers in the Finsbury Park area of London around 8:30 a.m. local time (4:30 a.m. Eastern Time), police say.
His case sparked a wave of anti-immigration protests across the country: some protesters gathered outside the Bell Hotel, and demonstrations involved far-right groups that escalated into clashes.
On Friday Essex Police said it had been informed by the UK Prison Service at 12:57 local time (7:57 a.m. ET) about the “error” in releasing this individual.
The police quickly launched a manhunt for Kebatu, and Britain’s Deputy Prime Minister David Lemmi announced an “urgent investigation” into the mistaken release.
“urgent investigation”
Reaction and consequences
The incident heightens the debate over the prison-release system and its interaction with immigration policy and asylum. Authorities promise a thorough investigation into the causes of the error and a review of internal procedures to prevent a repeat of such an incident in the future.
Anti-immigration protests that followed the incident continue to attract public attention, with a heightened focus on safety in public spaces and the accountability of government bodies for the release of defendants and asylum seekers.
See also:
- British police continue investigating the 2007 disappearance of Madeleine McCann in Portugal, focusing on suspect Christian Brückner, who is soon to be released from a German prison.
- South Korean court overturns a 60-year-old conviction of a woman who defended herself during an alleged sexual assault, marking a significant victory for women’s rights and justice reform.
- Mass anti-immigration protests in Los Angeles are accompanied by clashes with the police and the involvement of the US National Guard.
