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Man Convicted of Sexual Assault Mistakenly Released from Prison, Police Launch Manhunt
LONDON – A convicted asylum-seeker, 38-year-old Ethiopian national Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, is currently at large after being mistakenly released from a prison in Chelmsford, Essex. Authorities were alerted to the error on Friday afternoon, and police from three separate forces are now actively working to locate him.
Kebatu, who was sentenced in September to 12 months in prison for five offenses, including the sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl in Epping in July, was last seen in the London area. His initial arrival in England by boat and subsequent crimes had previously sparked anti-migrant protests across London and other cities.
Police confirmed that officers have been working tirelessly through the night, reviewing hours of CCTV footage to track Kebatu’s movements. British media outlets have reported that he was incorrectly classified as a prisoner eligible for release, rather than being transferred to an immigration detention center.
“It is not lost on us that this situation is concerning to people, and we are committed to locating and arresting him as quickly as possible,” a police statement emphasized.
The Prison Service has launched an internal investigation into the incident, and a prison officer has been removed from their duties pending the outcome of that inquiry.
Kebatu’s initial arrest and prosecution had ignited significant public outcry, leading to large-scale protests outside the Bell Hotel in Epping, where he and other newly arrived migrants were housed. These demonstrations, some of which were attended by far-right activists and escalated into disorder, were followed by similar protests targeting migrant housing in other British towns and cities. Counter-protests were also organized by groups like Stand Up to Racism.
The issue of unauthorized migration, particularly the thousands of individuals crossing the English Channel in small boats, and the government’s use of hotels to accommodate asylum seekers awaiting status decisions, has been a source of ongoing tension in the U.K.