The Deputy Prime Minister has announced an immediate investigation into the “farcical” accidental release of convicted sex offender Hadush Kebatu from an Essex prison.
Speaking to MPs in the House of Commons, David Lammy added that the early release scheme for prisoners up and down the nation is due to face a radical overhaul of release rules following the embarrassing blunder.
Addressing MPs three days after the Ethiopian sex attacker was freed from HMP Chelmsford, the Justice Secretary said that it “appears to have been human error” that led to the accidental release that sparked a 45-hour manhunt.
He further confirmed that His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service are investigating the matter, adding that victims will be spoken to as part of the probe into how a foreign national offender awaiting deportation was mistakenly released into the community.
Independent Inquiry Announced
Former Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner Dame Lynne Owens is due to chair an independent inquiry into the mistaken release of Hadush Kebatu, David Lammy told the Commons.
He added that “any foreign national offender being removed through the Early Removal scheme can now only be discharged when the duty governor is physically present and there will be no errors”.
The Early Removal Scheme was originally meant to remove Hadush Kebatu from the UK directly from custody, avoiding his release into the community before deportation.
The new safeguard requiring the physical presence of the duty governor for all such releases represents an acknowledgement that existing procedures were inadequate to prevent catastrophic mistakes.
Timeline of Release Blunder
In the Commons, Mr Lammy laid out the shocking timeline of events that saw a convicted sex offender walk free from prison when he should have been transferred to an immigration detention centre.
“On Friday October 24, Mr Kebatu was scheduled to be transferred from HMP Chelmsford to an immigration removal centre from which he was to be deported. Due to what appears to have been human error, he was instead released into the community at 10.25am.”
“Shortly after 12pm, concerns were raised about the release to the duty governor and, following checks, staff were dispatched to locate him.”
“When it became clear that he was no longer in the vicinity of the prison, Essex Police were notified and a manhunt began.”
The two-hour delay between Kebatu walking out of prison and staff being dispatched to find him gave the sex offender a significant head start, contributing to the lengthy manhunt that followed.
“His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service instigated an immediate investigation, and I’ve asked the initial findings to be with me this week,” Mr Lammy added.
Chelmsford Prison Releases Suspended
The Deputy Prime Minister further announced emergency measures affecting HMP Chelmsford where the catastrophic error occurred.
“There will be no releases under Early Removal Scheme from HMP Chelmsford for the rest of the week,” he confirmed, effectively suspending deportation releases from the facility whilst investigations continue.
“Any foreign nationals who can be removed through the early removal scheme, the scheme through which Kebatu was supposed to be removed from the country, can now only be discharged when the duty governor is physically present.”
The suspension demonstrates the severity with which the Government is treating the failure, though critics will question why such basic safeguards were not already in place.
‘Calamity Lammy Strikes Again’
Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick delivered a devastating attack on the Justice Secretary’s handling of the situation, claiming “the only illegal migrants this Government are stopping are those that actually want to leave the UK.
Mr Jenrick told the Commons: “Dear oh dear. Where to begin? This Justice Secretary could not deport the only small boat migrant who wanted, no, who tried to be deported.”
“Having been mistakenly released, Hadush Kebatu came back to prison asking to be deported not once, not twice, but five times, but he was turned away.”
The extraordinary claim that Kebatu attempted to return to custody multiple times only to be refused entry has not been officially confirmed but, if true, would represent an astonishing additional layer of incompetence.
“The only illegal migrants this Government are stopping are those that actually want to leave the UK,” Mr Jenrick said mockingly.
“His officials, briefing the press, called it the mother of all… yeah, they’re not wrong, are they?”
Jenrick’s Scathing Attack
Mr Lammy subsequently erupted in nervous laughter as the Newark MP slammed: “Calamity Lammy strikes again. It’s a national embarrassment and today the Justice Secretary feigns anger at what happened.”
The “Calamity Lammy” jibe represents a damaging narrative that the Opposition is attempting to establish around the Deputy Prime Minister’s competence in managing his justice brief.
Mr Jenrick’s suggestion that Lammy is merely “feigning” anger rather than genuinely being outraged by the mistake implies the Justice Secretary bears responsibility for systemic failures that enabled the release.
The exchange demonstrated the political damage the Kebatu case has inflicted on the Government, with opposition MPs seizing on the blunder as evidence of wider incompetence in managing the criminal justice and immigration systems.
Victim Impact
The accidental release caused immense distress to Kebatu’s teenage victim, whose father revealed she “feared seeing him again in the high road” after learning her attacker was walking free.
The victim’s father condemned the error as “unbelievably irresponsible” and said his daughter had been “slowly starting to get some of her confidence back” before news of the release caused her “so much stress and anxiety”.
He revealed he first learned about the mistaken release from a reporter rather than being informed directly by authorities, adding to the family’s trauma.
Mr Lammy’s commitment to speak with victims as part of the investigation acknowledges the human cost of the administrative failure, though victims’ advocates will question why notification procedures also failed.
Wider Systemic Concerns
The Kebatu case has exposed serious weaknesses in prison administration and deportation procedures that extend beyond a single human error.
Questions remain about how a convicted sex offender awaiting deportation could be released without multiple checks confirming he was meant to be transferred to immigration detention rather than freed.
The fact that prison staff apparently turned Kebatu away when he attempted to return suggests confusion about his status extended beyond the initial release decision.
Critics have pointed to the incident as evidence that early release schemes introduced to ease prison overcrowding have created chaos in an already strained system.
Political Fallout
The scandal has become a significant political liability for the Government, undermining public confidence in the criminal justice system and immigration enforcement.
The Opposition is likely to continue citing “Calamity Lammy” and the Kebatu case as evidence the Government cannot be trusted to manage law and order effectively.
For Mr Lammy personally, the incident represents a serious blow to his credibility as Justice Secretary, with his opponents suggesting he has lost control of the prison system.
The independent inquiry chaired by Dame Lynne Owens will determine whether individuals should face disciplinary action and whether systemic reforms are required beyond the immediate changes announced.
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