An Ethiopian national and convicted sex offender has been deported from the UK, just days after being mistakenly released from prison.
Hadush Kebatu was found guilty of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman in Epping, Essex.
The felon, whose real age is uncertain, was accidentally set free on Friday, October 24th, instead of being transferred to an immigration detention centre for deportation. He was recaptured two days later in north London.
Kebatu was placed on a flight to Ethiopia on the night of Tuesday, October 28th and arrived there the next day. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the incident “should never have happened” and thanked police for their swift action. “Our streets are safer because of it,” she added, confirming that Kebatu had been deported.
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy also praised the rapid response and announced, unconvincingly, an independent inquiry into the administrative blunder:
We must get to the bottom of what happened and prevent similar mistakes in the future.
Kebatu’s release had sparked public outrage, particularly in Epping, where protests had previously taken place outside the migrant hotel where he had been housed.
The Home Office reported that over 5,100 foreign criminals have been deported since Labour came to power, a 14% increase compared to the final year of hapless Rishi Sunak’s government.
