'Human error' by prison officer led to Epping sex offender Hadush Kebatu being wrongly freed, 'livid' David Lammy tells MPs

The Justice Secretary told MPs on Monday afternoon that he is "livid" on behalf of the victims of Kebatu, who will be deported as "quick as possible."

Mr Lammy confirmed he has asked for an urgent review and told the Commons that the Government "must get to the bottom" of what happened.

Ethiopian national Kebatu was mistakenly released from HMP Chelmsford on Friday at around 10:25am instead of being sent to an immigration detention centre.

Read more: David Lammy to face questioning after migrant sex offender mistakenly freed from jail is re-arrested

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The migrant, who had been living at the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex when he sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl and a woman, later travelled to London and was arrested on Saturday morning in Finsbury Park after a two-day manhunt.

Mr Lammy said concerns were raised about his release to the duty governor and staff were dispatched to locate him shortly after 12pm.

He told MPs on Monday it appeared to "have been human error” that led to Kebatu being mistakenly freed from prison.

He added: "I've been clear from the outset that a mistake of this nature is unacceptable. We must get to the bottom of what happened and take immediate action to try and prevent similar releases in error to protect the public from harm."

Mr Lammy said that he ordered an “urgent review” into the checks that take place when someone is released from prison, and that new safeguards have been added that amount to the "strongest release checks that have ever been in place."

The Justice Secretary added: "I instructed the CEO of His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) to carry out an urgent review to look at the checks that take place when a prisoner is released and identify immediate changes that can be made to the process in order to mitigate against the risks of release and error.

"As a result, HMPPS have taken steps to make these processes more robust. There will now be more direct senior accountability for ensuring protocols and checks are correctly applied, including a clear checklist for governors to determine that every step has been followed the evening before any release takes place.

"These are the strongest release checks that have ever been in place, and they will apply to every release from custody, and are effective immediately."

Former Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner Dame Lynne Owens will chair an independent inquiry into the mistaken release of Kebatu, Lammy also confirmed.

The Deputy Prime Minister added: "I'm today announcing that there will be an independent investigation by Dame Lynne Owens.

"I spoke to her yesterday, former deputy commissioner for the Metropolitan Police and director general of the National Crime Agency, and she will fully establish the facts of Kebatu’s release and whether staff had sufficient experience, training and technology, and she will also talk to the victims in this case to understand the effect this incident had on them.

"Her report will highlight points of failure and make recommendations to help prevent further releases in error, which have been rising year on year since 2021 – going from nine per month on average in 2023, to 17 per month in the period spanning January to June 2024.

"And I'm clear that a single release in error is one too many, which is why we have launched this independent investigation.

"And I can tell the House that it will have the same status as those into other prison incidents, including the awful attack on three prison officers at HMP Franklin in April of this year, and the escape of Daniel Khalife from HMP Wandsworth in 2023 under the last government."

There will also be no further releases from HMP Chelmsford under the early removal scheme (ERS) for the remainder of this week.

In response, shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick blasted his opposite number as "Calamity Lammy."

Mr Jenrick said: "Dear oh dear. Where to begin?

"This Justice Secretary could not deport the only small boat migrant who wanted – no – who tried to be deported.

"Having been mistakenly released, Hadush Kebatu came back to prison asking to be deported not once, not twice, but five times, but he was turned away.

"The only illegal migrants this Government are stopping are those that actually want to leave the UK.

"His officials, briefing the press, called it the mother of all – yeah, they're not wrong, are they?"

Mr Lammy laughed as Mr Jenrick continued: "Calamity Lammy strikes again. It’s a national embarrassment and today the Justice Secretary feigns anger at what happened."

Mr Lammy responded: "This is a serious issue and that's why there will be a full independent investigation.

"The shadow justice secretary, I’ll give him this, he's smooth. But as my mother would have said, if he was chocolate, he’d lick himself.

"He should hang his head in shame. The crisis in our prisons that we're facing today is because of 14 years of failure under his government as they were packing their bags – and he knows this – to leave office."

Robert Jenrick asked whether David Lammy will resign if Hadush Kebatu is not deported "by the end of the week."