Overview
- The 14-year-old victim issued a statement saying she felt “put in danger all over again” after Hadush Kebatu was wrongly released from custody.
- Kebatu, who had been housed at Epping’s Bell Hotel, was convicted of five sexual offences in September and given a 12-month custodial sentence including time served.
- He was mistakenly freed from HMP Chelmsford, tracked on CCTV in London and arrested in Finsbury Park roughly two days later.
- The Home Office says he was forcibly removed to Ethiopia on October 28 with no right to return, with widespread reports that he was given £500 before deportation to head off a legal challenge.
- The victim’s father says the family feels let down and has not received a direct apology, and the Justice Secretary has announced an independent investigation into the erroneous release.