UK Police Launch Manhunt for Two Wrongly Released Prisoners
British police are actively searching for two prisoners mistakenly released in recent days, raising serious concerns about prison management and security protocols. The incidents occurred at Wandsworth Prison, located in southwest London, and come just after the government announced new measures aimed at preventing such errors.
On October 29, 2023, Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, a 24-year-old Algerian national, was released in error. He was serving a sentence for trespass with intent to steal and is also a registered sex offender due to a conviction for indecent exposure last year. The Metropolitan Police only became aware of Kaddour-Cherif’s release on October 31, six days after the incident. Commander Paul Trevers, who oversees the investigation, stated, “Cherif has had a six-day head start but we are working urgently to close the gap and establish his whereabouts.”
In a separate incident, William Smith, 35, was also mistakenly released on October 30, 2023, after being sentenced to 45 months for multiple fraud offenses. Surrey Police confirmed that Smith has connections to the Woking area, which is located in the heart of Surrey.
Ongoing Concerns Over Prison Security
The recent releases have added to the scrutiny faced by the UK’s prison system, which has struggled with resource shortages for years. These mistakes come in the wake of another high-profile release just two weeks earlier, when Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, an Ethiopian national sentenced for sexually assaulting a minor, was let out of Chelmsford Prison on October 24, 2023. After a two-day manhunt, Kebatu was recaptured and subsequently deported back to Ethiopia.
In response to these incidents, Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, who also serves as the justice minister, expressed his outrage and attributed the issues within the prison estate to the previous Conservative government’s policies. He emphasized the need for accountability in the wake of the recent blunders and was questioned in the House of Commons about the potential for additional wrongful releases.
Government figures indicate that 262 prisoners were released in error during the year ending March 2025, which marks a 128% increase compared to the previous year. This sharp rise has been linked to the Labour government’s decision to allow early prisoner releases to manage overcrowding in jails.
The public outcry and political fallout from these incidents may lead to further scrutiny of the UK prison system’s operations and the measures needed to prevent similar occurrences in the future. With the government now under pressure to ensure the integrity of its correctional facilities, the implications of these errors extend beyond the individual cases, potentially affecting broader public confidence in the justice system.
