Overview
- Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, 24, was arrested in Finsbury Park on Friday after a member of the public reported seeing him, and he has been returned to custody.
- At least four other prisoners wrongly released remain unaccounted for, with reporting indicating two were freed in 2024 and two in June 2025, as the Ministry of Justice says most are swiftly recaptured.
- Government figures record 262 mistaken releases in the year to March 2025, up from 115 the previous year, including about 90 involving violent or sexual offenders.
- Justice Secretary David Lammy has ordered tougher release checks, commissioned an independent inquiry and begun rapid digitisation work in prisons, drawing criticism from opposition parties over competence and transparency.
- Police were notified days after Kaddour-Cherif’s release from HMP Wandsworth; fellow inmate Billy Smith has since surrendered, and the earlier Kebatu case triggered the current probe and enhanced checks.