Sex Offender Released from Wandsworth Prison by Mistake Identified
A sex offender who was accidentally released from HMP Wandsworth in London on October 29 remains at large. He has been identified as Brahim Kaddour-Cherif.
Details of the Release
The 24-year-old was serving a sentence for trespass with intent to steal but has a previous history of sexual offences. He recently appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court in September, charged with failing to comply with sex offender requirements.
Police Response
The Metropolitan Police stated that Kaddour-Cherif is of Algerian descent and are conducting urgent enquiries to locate and return him to custody.
Local Reaction
"Local residents will quite rightly be deeply concerned. We urgently need answers from the Government and Ministry of Justice as to how this was allowed to happen." – Dr Rosena Allin-Khan, Labour MP for Tooting
Dr Allin-Khan described the news as "horrifying" given the prisoner's "shocking list of offences".
Similar Recent Incident
This incident follows a case just days earlier when Hadush Kebatu, a 38-year-old convicted sex offender, was mistakenly released from HMP Chelmsford in Essex. Kebatu spent three days at large before being arrested near Finsbury Park in north London on October 26. He was seen boarding a train to London before his capture.
"The Ethiopian national was pictured being led away by plain-clothed police officers near a bus stop in Finsbury Park."
Summary: Two recent accidental releases of convicted sex offenders highlight urgent concerns about prison security and government accountability.