The Metropolitan Police were notified on Tuesday, November 4th – nearly six days after Brahim Kaddour-Cherif was mistakenly released from the south London prison on October 29th. The delayed notification has left authorities scrambling to locate the prisoner, who has previous sexual offence convictions.

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Kaddour-Cherif was serving a sentence for trespass with intent to steal at the time of his discharge. He entered the UK in 2019 on a visitor visa but overstayed, prompting immigration proceedings. Reports suggest deportation proceedings had already been initiated against him and confirm he was not an asylum seeker.

Commander Paul Trevers, overseeing the investigation, acknowledged the threat imposed to the public.

"Cherif has had a six-day head start, but we are working urgently to close the gap and establish his whereabouts," he said. Officers believe he has connections in the  Tower Hamlets and Westminster areas of London.

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The prison service has yet to explain why it took nearly a week to notify police, a transgression that Prime Minister Keir Starmer described as "utterly unacceptable."

"One mistaken release is one too many," Starmer said. "It's important the police are given the time and space to bring him back into custody. We will look into the circumstances behind this as a matter of urgency."

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This isn't an isolated incident. Kaddour-Cherif is the second offender mistakenly released from HMP Wandsworth in recent weeks. Just one day before police were notified about his release, 35-year-old William Smith was accidentally released on November 3rd, the same day he was sentenced to 45 months for multiple fraud offences at Croydon Crown Court.

The most popular case involves migrant sex offender Hadush Kebatu, who was wrongfully freed from HMP Chelmsford on October 24th. He remained at large for two days before being detained on October 26th and subsequently deported to Ethiopia.

Three mistaken releases in three weeks have ignited criticism of both government oversight and HMP Wandsworth. "What we need to realise is that Wandsworth has been a prison in special measures forever." said a former prison guard.

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The Deputy Prime Minister is facing severe backlash from politicians over the series of releases. Adding to the controversy, the Conservative Party reportedly learned about Kaddour-Cherif's mistaken release just 15 minutes before the Deputy Prime Minister's Questions, raising concerns about transparency.

With Kaddour-Cherif still at large and the pattern of errors continuing, the public is questioning whether thorough safeguards exist to prevent repetitive serious failures.

Metropolitan Police urge anyone with information about Kaddour-Cherif’s whereabouts to contact them immediately.

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