The father of a schoolgirl sexually assaulted by convicted sex offender Hadush Kebatu has said his family feels “massively let down and infuriated” after the migrant was accidentally released from prison on Friday.
In a statement read by Epping Forest Councillor Shane Yerrell this evening, the father condemned Kebatu’s release from HMP Chelmsford due to a system failure as “unbelievably irresponsible”.
Police confirmed on Sunday that they had located and arrested Kebatu following a 45-hour manhunt across London and Essex after his erroneous release.
The father’s powerful statement lays bare the trauma and anger experienced by victims’ families when the justice system fails to protect them from dangerous offenders.
Myself and my family feel massively let down and infuriated by HMP Chelmsford, the police, the justice system and our Labour government. They have all failed,” the statement reads.
“Not just us as a family, but they have failed everyone in the country.”
Father Learned of Release From Reporter
The victim’s father revealed he discovered Kebatu had been mistakenly freed not through official channels, but from a journalist who contacted him for comment.
“I had to find out from a reporter that my daughter’s attacker was accidentally released in the day, then be sent images and videos of him walking around throughout the day before the police even alerted her mother,” he said.
The revelation that the family was not immediately informed by authorities represents a serious failure in victim liaison procedures, which are supposed to ensure families are kept updated about significant developments involving their attackers.
The father’s statement indicates he received photographs and video footage of Kebatu at large in London before police had contacted the girl’s mother, leaving the family in a state of fear and uncertainty about the sex offender’s whereabouts.
Victim support protocols require police and prison services to notify victims and their families promptly when offenders are released, whether legitimately or in error, to allow them to take appropriate safety precautions.
Prison Confrontation
The distraught father says he travelled to HMP Chelmsford to “seek some answers” after learning of Kebatu’s accidental release from custody.
He alleges he was “greeted with hostility and complete disregard for anything I said or asked” when he arrived at the prison demanding explanations.
The father’s account suggests prison staff were unprepared or unwilling to address the concerns of a victim’s family member in the immediate aftermath of the catastrophic administrative error.
His statement paints a picture of an institution more concerned with deflecting responsibility than providing reassurance or answers to those directly affected by their failures.
The encounter at the prison gates is likely to feature prominently in the investigation into how Kebatu came to be released and how the situation was handled once the error was discovered.
Call for Immediate Deportation
The father expressed hope that Kebatu would be deported immediately, emphasising the ongoing threat posed by his temporary freedom.
“I really hope that nobody else’s child has to experience what my daughter has. I hope he will be deported immediately, as the longer he was roaming the streets, the more threat he posed to women and children of this country,” he said.
Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary David Lammy has pledged that Kebatu will be deported “this week”, with reports suggesting he will be placed on a flight on Tuesday.
Mr Lammy described the mistaken release as a “catastrophic failure of the system” and confirmed that a prison officer has been suspended pending a full investigation.
Sexual Assault in Epping
Kebatu sexually assaulted the schoolgirl in Epping, Essex, in July, an attack that has had devastating consequences for the victim and her family.
The convicted sex offender was being held at HMP Chelmsford awaiting deportation to his home country when he was mistakenly released on Friday due to an administrative error.
He spent 45 hours at large, travelling from Chelmsford to east London where he was spotted in Dalston, Hackney, before being rearrested on Sunday morning.
During his time on the run, Kebatu was filmed walking up stairs behind a woman in broad daylight, footage that has only intensified public concern about the danger he posed whilst free.
System Failures
The case has exposed serious weaknesses in prison administration and victim support services, with multiple safeguards apparently failing simultaneously.
Prison officers are required to conduct verification checks against court orders and immigration holds before releasing any inmate, particularly foreign national offenders awaiting deportation.
Questions remain about how these protocols were bypassed or ignored, allowing a convicted sex offender who should never have been freed to walk out of HMP Chelmsford unchallenged.
The failure to immediately notify the victim’s family compounds the original error, suggesting communication breakdowns across multiple agencies responsible for public protection.
Political Fallout
Justice Secretary David Lammy has blamed the previous Conservative government for leaving behind a “collapsing system” with staff shortages and inexperienced officers.
“You will know that we inherited a system that was collapsing, in which the previous Government was releasing people early without any scrutiny at all. And there are a lot of junior officers now in the prison system,” Mr Lammy said.
Opposition MPs are expected to demand a full parliamentary inquiry into the incident and broader questions about prison administration and deportation procedures.
Local councillor Shane Yerrell, who read the father’s statement, has become a vocal advocate for the family, ensuring their concerns are heard by decision-makers.
The case has reignited debates about immigration enforcement, with critics arguing that foreign national offenders should be held in dedicated facilities with enhanced security measures to prevent similar incidents.
Community members in Epping have expressed shock and anger that a convicted sex offender who attacked a local child was able to walk free, even temporarily, due to bureaucratic incompetence.
The psychological impact on the young victim, who must now process the knowledge that her attacker was wandering the streets rather than being safely detained, cannot be overstated.
The father’s statement concludes with a plea that resonates with parents across the country: that no other family should have to endure what his daughter has experienced at the hands of both a predator and a failing system.
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