The United Kingdom government has confirmed the deportation of Ethiopian migrant sex offender Hadush Kebatu, whose mistaken release from prison last week triggered national outrage and a two-day manhunt. Kebatu, who was convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman in Essex, was deported to Ethiopia on Tuesday night after being recaptured in north London.
According to the Home Office, the deportation was completed under tight security, with Kebatu landing in Ethiopia early Wednesday morning. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood described the case as a serious failure within the prison system but assured the public that the offender would “never set foot on British soil again.”
“Last week’s blunder should never have happened — and I share the public’s anger that it did,” Mahmood said in a statement. “I have pulled every lever to deport Mr Kebatu and remove him off British soil. I am pleased to confirm this vile child sex offender has been deported. Our streets are safer because of it.”
The 32-year-old Kebatu was meant to be transferred from HMP Chelmsford to an immigration detention centre under the Early Removals Scheme (ERS), which facilitates the deportation of foreign nationals serving prison terms of at least 12 months. However, in what officials later described as a “human error,” he was mistakenly released into the public instead.
The Justice Secretary, David Lammy, called the incident “unacceptable” and ordered an urgent investigation to determine how such a dangerous individual could have been mistakenly freed.
By the time authorities realised the mistake on Friday afternoon, Kebatu had already approached members of the public in Chelmsford city centre asking for help and then boarded a train to London. The Essex Police launched a manhunt that lasted nearly 48 hours. He was eventually arrested on Sunday morning near Finsbury Park Station, after a vigilant member of the public recognised him and alerted the police.
Following his capture, the Home Office moved swiftly to process his deportation under emergency measures. Home Office Minister Alex Norris said on Wednesday that the situation “ended in the way it had to end,” acknowledging the widespread public anger.
“We accept this was a blunder — and we’re really angry about it, as I know the public are,” Norris told reporters. “Immediate controls have been introduced in prisons to prevent this from happening again, including more stringent verification checks when offenders are transferred for deportation.”
The government has also suspended a prison officer at HMP Chelmsford pending the outcome of an independent inquiry led by former Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner Dame Lynne Owens. The inquiry will examine how the release occurred, whether staff were adequately trained, and if the prison had the right technology to manage deportation cases securely.
It will also include interviews with Kebatu’s victims, whose safety and well-being remain a priority. The review is expected to make a series of recommendations to prevent similar administrative failures, which have reportedly been increasing in recent years.
Kebatu’s crimes caused outrage in the local community, particularly after it emerged that he had been staying at an asylum hotel in Epping, where tensions between locals and asylum seekers were already high. His arrival in the UK followed a perilous journey through Sudan, Libya, Italy, and France, before crossing the English Channel on a small boat on June 29.
According to court records, Kebatu attempted to kiss a 14-year-old girl in the Chelmsford town centre and made sexually explicit remarks to her. When he encountered her again the next day, he attempted to kiss her once more and went on to sexually assault her and another woman. Despite denying all charges, Kebatu was convicted of five offences and sentenced to 12 months in prison.
Under the UK Borders Act 2007, foreign nationals sentenced to at least 12 months in custody must be considered for automatic deportation — a provision that was applied to Kebatu’s case.
Following his deportation, the Home Office confirmed that he has been permanently banned from re-entering the UK, reinforcing the government’s stance on protecting the public from convicted foreign offenders.
The case has reignited debates over immigration management, asylum procedures, and public safety, with critics calling for tighter oversight of deportation processes. While the government insists that new measures are already being implemented to close procedural gaps, opposition lawmakers and rights groups have demanded full transparency once the inquiry concludes.
The Kebatu incident has become a defining test for the new Home Secretary’s leadership, as she faces mounting pressure to restore public confidence in the nation’s immigration and justice systems.
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