Convicted sex offender Hadush Kebatu has been deported to Ethiopia. This action comes on the heels of a string of other legal missteps that improperly allowed him out of prison in the first place. On June 29, Kebatu made an uncertain crossing of the English Channel in a small vessel. Prior to his conviction for sexual offenses he resided at the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex.
Kebatu’s criminal undertakings became apparent soon after he came to the UK. He violently raped a 14-year-old girl and a woman, showcasing his traumatic violence for all to see. Authorities arrested and charged him with two counts of sexual assault and harassment of a minor. Further, they charged him with incitement to commit sexual conduct and attempted sexual assault. He was sentenced in September to 12 months in prison minus time served and ordered deported after his release.
Even with these legal directives in place, Kebatu was erroneously released from HMP Chelmsford on the morning of Friday (Oct. 13). Although originally intended to be transferred to an immigration detention center, he was accidentally released. This DOJ error led to national outrage as they endangered community safety. Kebatu was re-arrested two days later in Finsbury Park, north London.
Following his second detention, Kebatu said in court that he wanted to be deported. His deportation was carried out with precision and haste, and he was airlifted back to Ethiopia upon his removal from the UK.
The chain of events surrounding Kebatu’s release and subsequent re-arrest is deeply troubling. We need to look critically at the protocols for dealing with people charged with such high profile, serious charges. Local MP Marie Goldman expressed her relief at the decision to deport Kebatu. Turning her attention towards his wrongful release, she vigorously condemned the failures.
“Whilst I am relieved that this saga is over and Hadush Kebatu has finally been deported, this doesn’t excuse the catastrophic failures that led to this point.” – Marie Goldman
Goldman settled on the need for accountability. He added, “It is completely intolerable that lives were endangered. This was a monumental blunder. My constituents want and need to know how such a dangerous failure could happen.”
Local MP Shabana Mahmood, who was elected with Khan, was in strong agreement. She called the mistake from last week “utterly unacceptable” and said that nothing trumps public safety.
“Last week’s blunder should never have happened – and I share the public’s anger that it did. I would like to thank the police for rapidly bringing Mr Kebatu into custody and the public for their vigilance.” – Shabana Mahmood
The sad circumstance has brought national attention to the hunger for better management of accused felons in our judicial system. These lapses can pose serious hazards to the community. Now, authorities are facing scrutiny to change their practices to make sure something like this never happens again.