Released Prisoner and Sex Offender Tracked Down After Accidental Release
Brahim Kaddour Cherif, a 24-year-old prisoner from HMP Wandsworth, was mistakenly released, prompting a large-scale police search across London. The error was reported to the Metropolitan Police, which quickly launched efforts to locate him.
Cherif, an Algerian national, had been convicted in November 2024 for indecent exposure related to an incident in March the same year. He received an 18-month community order and was placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for five years. Police noted he was believed to have connections in Tower Hamlets and frequently visited the Westminster area.
“At 11.23am on Friday, 7 November, a call was received from a member of the public reporting a sighting of a man they believed to be Brahim Kaddour-Cherif in the vicinity of Capital City College on Blackstock Road in Islington,” a Metropolitan Police spokesperson said.
“Officers responded immediately and at 11.30am detained a man matching Cherif's description. His identity was confirmed and he was arrested for being unlawfully at large. He was also arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker in relation to a previous unrelated incident. He has been taken into police custody. The Prison Service has been informed.”
Police Response
Authorities acted rapidly once alerted, confirming Cherif’s identity and taking him into custody. The incident sparked scrutiny over prison release procedures as officials reviewed how the mistaken release occurred.
Author’s Summary: After being mistakenly freed from HMP Wandsworth, sex offender Brahim Kaddour Cherif was quickly tracked down and rearrested in Islington following a vigilant public tip-off.