Justice Secretary David Lammy Addresses Surge in Erroneous Prisoner Releases Amid Political Criticism
Justice Secretary David Lammy has announced the strongest release checks ever following a series of errors in releasing prisoners, including migrant sex offenders, in the UK. Government figures reveal that 262 prisoners were released in error in the year to March, marking a 128% increase from 115 in the previous 12 months.
Among those mistakenly released was Hadush Kebatu, who arrived in the UK on a small boat and was jailed for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman while living in an asylum hotel in Essex. Kebatu was subsequently deported after his mistaken release.
Another prisoner, Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, a 24-year-old Algerian sex offender, was also released by mistake. Lammy expressed absolute outrage and stated that officials had been working through the night to return him to prison. At a B-Team Prime Minister’s Questions session, Conservative MP James Cartlidge questioned whether an asylum-seeking offender had been released in error. Lammy avoided a direct answer but later clarified that Kaddour-Cherif was not an asylum seeker; he had arrived legally but his visa had expired.
Lammy's team emphasized the necessity for facts to be established publicly by police. The broader issue is viewed as a systemic failure across the justice system—including courts, the Prison Service, the Ministry of Justice, and the Home Office—to determine appropriately who should remain in prison. Although this problem is not new, it has been growing in severity.
Politically, there has been fallout including criticism from the Liberal Democrats and Reform. Former Conservative minister Iain Duncan Smith suggested that Lammy may have misled the Commons. Some have also criticized Lammy’s manner during parliamentary exchanges.
Additional reporting highlighted a police hunt for two prisoners mistakenly released from Wandsworth prison in the past week, underscoring ongoing concerns about prison release errors.
