Twelve Prisoners Released in Error, Two Still Missing

Published: 02 December 2025 Tuesday. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online

Justice Secretary David Lammy has revealed that 12 prisoners have been accidentally released over the past three weeks, with two still at large. This follows a previous wave of 91 accidental releases between April and October.

Speaking to the BBC, Lammy acknowledged that while prisons continue to operate on a paper-based system, “human error” is inevitable. He added that the situation is expected to improve once a fully digital system is introduced. Lammy described the recent spike in accidental releases as “on a downward trajectory.”

In an interview with ITV, Lammy reassured the public that the two prisoners currently at large are not violent or sex offenders. He declined to provide further details, citing operational police considerations related to ongoing arrests.

The issue drew public attention after Hadush Kebatu, who had been jailed for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman while living in an asylum hotel in Epping, was mistakenly freed. Shortly after, two other prisoners — William Smith, who later surrendered, and Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, who was re-arrested — were also released in error.

The government has since implemented additional checks for prisoners being released and outlined further steps to prevent future mistakes. Lammy said the latest incidents have occurred since 11 November, when he updated the House of Commons on government actions to address the problem.

The total number of accidental releases has risen sharply, from 115 in 2023-2024 to 262 in the following year. Lammy acknowledged the rise, stating: “I want to bring it down but we have got a mountain to climb.” He attributed part of the problem to the loss of 6,000 officers under the previous Conservative government.

Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick has criticised Labour’s handling of early release schemes, describing them as “confusion created by Labour’s botched early release scheme.”

To tackle the issue, the government is investing up to £10 million in AI tools to reduce human error and modernise the prison system. Former deputy commissioner of the Met Police, Dame Lynne Owens, has also been asked to review the mistakes that led to Kebatu’s release and other errors across the prison estate.

Kebatu was re-arrested two days after his mistaken release and has since been deported to Ethiopia. Lammy emphasized that lessons from these cases will inform reforms aimed at preventing similar incidents in the future.