(MENAFN) A migrant convicted of sexual offenses was re-arrested in north London after being mistakenly released from prison, prompting a widespread manhunt, according to reports. Hadush Kebatu was located in the Finsbury Park area at 08:30 GMT on Sunday, two days after he had been wrongly freed from HMP Chelmsford. He was detained on suspicion of being unlawfully at large.

Authorities confirmed that Kebatu “will be returned to the custody of the Prison Service,” while the Health Secretary stated he would be deported immediately. Kebatu had been serving a sentence for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman in Epping while residing in an asylum hotel and was due for deportation when the release error occurred.

Political leaders expressed concern over the incident. Sir Keir Starmer stated Kebatu would be deported and added: “We must make sure this doesn't happen again.”

Witnesses reported seeing Kebatu being led away by police in handcuffs in civilian clothing, differing from the prison-issued grey tracksuit he wore upon release. Officers said public tips helped locate him after a coordinated search, with his movements tracked across London through CCTV and train travel.

Kebatu’s offenses had previously sparked local protests outside the Epping hotel where he lived. Court records revealed that he attempted to kiss a teenage girl on two occasions and sexually assaulted a woman who tried to assist him with a CV. Despite his denial, he was convicted of five offenses last month, sentenced to 12 months in custody, and given a five-year sexual harm prevention order alongside a 10-year registration on the Sex Offenders Register.

During his trial, it was noted that Kebatu had expressed a desire to be deported. Under the UK Borders Act 2007, foreign nationals sentenced to at least 12 months must be issued a deportation order.

Following the release blunder, HM Prison Service instructed all governors to implement additional release checks by Monday. A prison officer has been suspended, with senior staff attributing the mistake to overwork and staffing shortages. Reports indicate that 262 prisoners were released in error across England and Wales between April 2024 and March 2025, a sharp rise from 115 the previous year.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting called the arrest a “huge relief” and pledged transparency regarding the ongoing investigation. He said: “The justice secretary has ordered an investigation into how on earth it was that a dangerous man who was due for deportation was instead released onto our streets. That work is under way, we will be open and transparent with the public about what went wrong and what we're going to do about it.”

Former justice officials and MPs have highlighted systemic issues in the prison system, emphasizing the need for proper resources and staffing to prevent similar incidents in the future. Some politicians described the episode as indicative of wider problems with the UK’s law enforcement and penal institutions.

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