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Investigation into Wrongful Release of Sex Offender Launched by UK Justice Secretary

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

An independent investigation into the wrongful release of a sex offender, Hadush Kebatu, from HMP Chelmsford will be conducted by Dame Lynne Owens, a former deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and ex-director general of the National Crime Agency. The investigation will look into the circumstances surrounding Kebatu's release and make recommendations to prevent similar cases in the future. The deputy prime minister and justice secretary, David Lammy, announced that Dame Lynne's report will highlight points of failure and provide recommendations to tighten release checks and prevent human error. The investigation will have the same status as those into 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.

Key Takeaways:

  • The investigation into Hadush Kebatu's wrongful release will be conducted by Dame Lynne Owens, a former deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and ex-director general of the National Crime Agency.
  • Kebatu was jailed for 12 months in September for sexually assaulting a teenage girl, but was wrongly released from HMP Chelmsford instead of being sent to an immigration detention centre.
  • The mistake was due to what appeared to be human error, and there were national security considerations.
  • Release checks will be tightened and foreign prisoners being deported will now be discharged only when the duty governor is physically present.
  • The government says it is building 14,000 more prison places and reforming sentencing to tackle overcrowding.
  • The number of prisoners released in error has risen year on year since 2021, from nine per month on average in 2023 to 17 per month in the period spanning January to June 2024.
  • Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick described Kebatu's release as a "national embarrassment since the offender had asked to be deported five times.
  • Chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor said prisoners being released early, in error or even late is now an "endemic problem".
  • According to government figures, 262 prisoners were released in error in the year to March, a 128 per cent increase on the previous 12 months, during which 115 were wrongly set free.

Statistics:

  • 262 prisoners were released in error in the year to March, a 128 per cent increase on the previous 12 months.
  • 262 / 12 = 21.8 average monthly releases in error.
  • The number of releases in error has risen year on year since 2021, from 9 per month on average in 2023 to 17 per month in the period spanning January to June 2024.
  • 17 / 6 = 2.83 average monthly releases in error for the period spanning January to June 2024.
  • The government says it is building 14,000 more prison places to tackle overcrowding.
  • 800 releases in error were reported under the previous government, with no full independent investigations.

Sources:

  • David Lammy, UK Justice Secretary, in a statement to MPs.
  • Robert Jenrick, Shadow Justice Secretary, in a statement.
  • Charlie Taylor, Chief Inspector of Prisons, in a statement.
  • UK Government, in a press release.
  • [1] The Guardian, "UK justice secretary announces probe into sex offender's wrongful release"
  • [2] The Telegraph, "Justice secretary launches probe into sex offender's release"
  • [3] BBC News, "Sex offender wrongly released from jail as investigation launched"

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