Police hunt for two men mistakenly released from prison
Police hunt for two men mistakenly released from prison
Two men released by mistake from Wandsworth prison are being hunted; one is 24-year-old Kaddour-Cherif linked to London areas Tower Hamlets and Westminster.
Two men were released from HMP Wandsworth in error in the past week, triggering a police hunt as officers work to locate them before they pose any further risk.
The case has resurfaced questions about how prison releases are checked, coming weeks after a separate incident in which a migrant sex offender, Hadush Kebatu, was also released by mistake. The police said they are actively pursuing both individuals and are urging anyone with information to come forward.
One man who has been identified so far is 24-year-old Kaddour-Cherif. He was convicted in November 2024 of indecent exposure relating to an incident in March that year. He was sentenced to an 18-month community order and placed on the sex offenders register for five years.
Authorities say Kaddour-Cherif entered the UK legally on a visit visa in 2019 but subsequently overstayed, a status described by officials as a probable over-stayer case. The Metropolitan Police indicated that he has links to Tower Hamlets and Westminster in London, which has prompted targeted checks in those areas.
During Prime Minister's Questions, the topic drew attention as lawmakers pressed the government over prison release procedures. A Ministry of Justice spokesperson later stressed that facts were still emerging at the time and that the deputy prime minister had not been fully informed of key details, with a fuller statement issued after clarifying information.
The police statement announcing the manhunt reaffirmed that two inmates had been released in error, and investigators are pursuing all leads to locate them and ensure public safety.
