A sex offender, Hadush Kebatu, who was mistakenly released from prison, was given £500 upon his deportation back to Ethiopia. He was flown back to his home country on Tuesday night and arrived on Wednesday morning without the right to return to Britain. The Home Office disclosed that Kebatu received the payment from officials in the removals team as he had threatened to disrupt his deportation process, potentially causing delays and additional expenses. The Ethiopian national’s erroneous release from HMP Chelmsford triggered a two-day manhunt, leading to his eventual removal from the UK.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood expressed solidarity with the public’s frustration over Kebatu’s release and assured that every effort was made to deport him promptly. However, opposition MPs pointed out that despite his deportation, the incident of his mistaken release remains inexcusable. The discretionary payment of £500 given to Kebatu was not approved by ministers and was deemed an operational decision. Additionally, plans have been put in place to implement enhanced checks before releasing inmates from prisons to prevent similar errors in the future. An independent inquiry has also been initiated to investigate the circumstances surrounding Kebatu’s release.
Moreover, a prison officer has been suspended pending the outcome of the inquiry to determine the root cause of the blunder. Prior to his deportation, Kebatu had been residing at the Bell hotel in Epping, Essex, where he committed sexual assaults against a 14-year-old girl and a woman. His actions sparked protests outside the hotel, which is used to accommodate asylum seekers who have been relocated to the area.
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