An asylum seeker who was convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl is still at large, as the police manhunt continues.
Police are combing London in search for sex offender Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu who was released from prison by mistake yesterday.
Kebatu was last seen boarding a London-bound train at Chelmsford station at 12.41pm.
The father of the girl who was assaulted by Kebatu turned up at Chelmsford jail begging for answers, telling Sky News he felt ‘let down’ by the system and ‘frustrated’ at the idea that Kebatu had been able to escape prison after attacking his daughter this summer.
‘The justice system has let us down’, he said.
Kebatu has £76 on him as he was given the subsistence payment by the prison to cover his first week’s expenses.
Bungling prison staff on Friday wrongly freed the ‘dangerous’ Channel migrant back into the community rather than to a Home Office immigration centre, where he was supposed to be deported.
It has left Labour facing fresh questions about its handling of the migrant crisis amid accusations of ‘breathtaking incompetence’.
Police said that the Ethiopian national was last seen boarding a London-bound train at Chelmsford station at 12.41pm
Crowds gathered outside the Bell Hotel (pictured) in Epping – where Kebatu was previously housed – on Friday evening
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said it showed ‘a level of incompetence that beggars belief’.
Police said that the Ethiopian – whose offences led to protests outside the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex this summer – was last seen boarding a London-bound train at Chelmsford station at 12.41pm.
Video footage appeared to capture him in the town centre, asking for directions from locals while still wearing his prison-issue grey tracksuit and clutching a plastic bag containing his possessions.
Tory justice spokesman Robert Jenrick said the case was ‘a parable for how the British state consistently fails the British people’.
He added: ‘It’s outrageous the victims have been failed in this way. The whole saga is a national embarrassment. He should have been on a flight out of the UK long ago.’
A senior justice source admitted: ‘This is the mother of all f***-ups.’
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy was said to be furious about the blunder, which was put down to ‘human error’ at HMP Chelmsford, where Kebatu had been in custody awaiting ‘imminent’ deportation.
He launched an immediate inquiry, and a member of prison staff was removed from duties.
Kebatu (pictured in a court sketch before his conviction) was sentenced to 12 months in prison
‘Remorseless’ Kebatu was jailed for a year last month after harassing his 14-year-old victim, saying he wanted to marry her and ‘have babies’, then touching her before trying to kiss a woman who came to the terrified girl’s rescue.
His arrest led to protesters and counter-protesters taking to the streets in Epping and eventually outside hotels housing asylum seekers across the country.
Fury erupted at the mistake on Friday night, with the Government accused of failing to protect victims, children and the wider public from dangerous offenders such as Kebatu.
It comes amid a backlash against efforts to tackle illegal migration after a migrant who was deported under the ‘one in, one out’ scheme with France reappeared on UK shores this week having simply crossed the Channel again in a small boat.
Sir Keir Starmer said: ‘The mistaken release at HMP Chelmsford is totally unacceptable. I am appalled that it has happened and it’s being investigated. The police are working urgently to track him down, and my Government is supporting them.
‘This man must be caught and deported for his crimes.’
But Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said: ‘The entire system is collapsing under Labour.
‘Conservatives voted against Labour’s prisoner-release program because it was putting predators back on our streets. But this man has only just been convicted.’
People (pictured) held Union flags and a St George’s Cross which read ‘Save our Kids’ outside the hotel on Friday
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp criticised Mr Lammy and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, adding: ‘It is disgraceful that a dangerous convicted paedophile who attacked a 14-year-old girl has been allowed to vanish.
‘This despicable man is an illegal immigrant who should have been deported immediately when he arrived. This is breathtaking incompetence by David Lammy and Shabana Mahmood.
‘They have put our children at further risk by letting this dangerous illegal immigrant out on to our streets. They are responsible for anything he may do. Illegal immigrants ought to be deported within a week, but the Government is too weak to do that.’
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said: ‘Britain is broken.’
Mr Lammy said: ‘We are urgently working with the police to track him down and I’ve ordered an urgent investigation. Kebatu must be deported for his crimes, not on our streets.’
During his trial this summer, Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court heard that Kebatu acted ‘ignorantly and repulsively’ when he launched his double attack just eight days after arriving in the country on a small boat.
Kebatu became aroused as he put his hand on the girl’s thighs and stroked her hair despite knowing ‘full well she was only 14’, the court heard.
He said he wanted to marry her and have a baby with her, and invited her back to The Bell, where he was staying.
The migrant, who was a sports teacher in his home country, then tried to kiss a woman who attempted to intervene, before putting his hand on her leg and telling her she was pretty.
After assaulting the schoolgirl, Kebatu was chased back to the hotel by his adult victim, who called police.
Kebatu denied three counts of sexual assault, one of attempted sexual assault, a charge of harassment and another of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity, but was convicted on all charges.
District Judge Christopher Williams said his ‘disgusting and sickening’ behaviour highlighted his ‘poor regard… for women’. Following his conviction, defence barrister Molly Dyas told the court: ‘His wish is to be deported as soon as possible.’
Kebatu was given a five-year sexual harm prevention order, and put on the sex offenders’ register for ten years.
Essex Police said: ‘We were informed by the prison service at 12.57pm of an error this morning surrounding the release of an individual.
‘We have launched a search operation to locate them.’
The Prison Service said: ‘We are urgently working with police to return an offender to custody following a release in error. Public protection is our top priority and we have launched an investigation into this incident.’
