The Met Police have taken over the investigation to catch the asylum seeker accidentally released from prison
An asylum seeker who sexually assaulted a teenager is known to have got off a London-bound train at Stratford station, after he was mistakenly released from prison. Police have launched a manhunt to find Hadush Kebatu, 38, since it was confirmed that he boarded a train from Chelmsford Station at 12.41pm yesterday (Friday).
Police have been working round the clock to find Kebatu in the hours since he was freed and state “there is a high degree of confidence” that he is in London. Responsibility for the manhunt has now been transferred from Essex Police to the Met Police, as of 11.30am today (Saturday, October 25).
Commander James Conway said: “Finding Hadush Kebatu is a top priority. The manhunt is being led by an experienced senior investigating officer. He has teams from the specialist crime command with expertise in tracking down wanted people at his disposal, as well as other resources from across the Met.
“We’ve confirmed that Kebatu got off the London-bound train at Stratford station. We are examining CCTV from that area and further afield, including on the transport network, to establish information about his subsequent movements.
“We will provide further updates when we can, but I hope the press and the public will understand why it would be unhelpful to the effectiveness of the manhunt if we were to provide a detailed running commentary. Anyone who sees Kebatu, or has information about his whereabouts, should call 999 immediately.”
It was first reported on Friday that Kebatu was meant to be sent to an immigration detention centre to be deported, but was freed by mistake. He was wrongly categorised as a prisoner due to be released on licence and handed a £76 discharge grant, the Telegraph reported.
Justice Secretary David Lammy said on Friday night that Kebatu was “at large in London” after he was seen boarding a train at Chelmsford, and the Metropolitan Police was assisting in the hunt for him. The father of Kebatu’s teenage victim told Sky News: “The justice system has let us down.”
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