British Justice Minister David Lammy expressed outrage at the fact that a convicted sex offender and asylum seeker from Ethiopia whose crimes sparked protests across the country has been mistakenly released from prison. TASR informs about it according to the report of the AFP agency.
Thirty-eight-year-old Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu was sentenced to a year in prison last month for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and an adult woman. This highly watched case sparked demonstrations that quickly spread to other cities. The justice minister said Kebatu “must be deported for his crimes”. “We are working intensively with the police to find the perpetrator as soon as possible. I have ordered an expedited investigation.” Lammy launched on the X platform.
At the time of the crime, Kebatu was staying at the Bell Hotel in Epping, north-east of London, along with around 130 other asylum seekers. Several protests focused on this hotel. “Migrant hotel attacker in Epping was mistakenly released instead of deported. Now on the streets of Essex. Britain is broken,” said leader of the anti-immigration party Reform UK Nigel Farage.
Kebatu was found guilty of five offences, including two counts of sexual assault, for which he was sentenced to one year in prison. Police arrested him on July 8 after he repeatedly tried to kiss a 14-year-old girl, touch her legs and make sexual advances. In addition, he placed his hand on the thigh of an adult woman who tried to intervene and protect the girl.
