The father of a 14-year-old girl who was sexually assaulted by Ethiopian migrant Hadush Kebatu has accused the UK Government of repeatedly failing his family. He said the ordeal has left his daughter traumatised again after Kebatu, who was jailed for the assault, was mistakenly released from prison before being rearrested and deported.
Kebatu had arrived in the UK on a small boat and committed the assaults just days later. He was sentenced to one year in prison. However, only a month into his sentence, he was wrongly freed from custody and was later tracked down in London and deported. The family of the victim said the mistake reopened emotional wounds they were trying to heal from.
Speaking anonymously to protect his daughter, the father said their family has been “broken” by the repeated failures of the system. He said they have never received a formal apology from the Government, despite everything they have been forced to endure. He said the emotional pressure has been constant since the incident took place.
His daughter said she struggled to sleep after hearing Kebatu had been mistakenly released, saying she feared he could return to Epping and find her. She described the experience as terrifying, saying the mistake made her feel unsafe in her own community.
The Ministry of Justice said that Lord Timpson, the prisons minister, has offered to meet with the family. David Lammy, Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary, apologised in Parliament and said he has ordered an independent review into how Kebatu was released in error. New release checks have since been introduced to prevent similar incidents.
Kebatu’s deportation came after he was given a £500 discretionary payment to drop his threat to delay removal by filing new asylum claims. When the victim learned he was given money to go back to his country, she said it felt as though he was “rewarded” despite what she suffered. The family described this as deeply painful and unfair.
The Home Office argued the payment was cheaper than detaining him longer, purchasing another flight, and delaying the process through new legal challenges. However, for the family, the explanation has offered no comfort. They say they feel their safety and dignity were not prioritised.
The father said he does not support the violent protests that followed the case, stressing that he is not motivated by anger at migrants, but by a feeling of injustice. He said the experience has left him with no faith in the UK justice system. “There’s been no justice. None at all. We’ve had no help, no support. We’ve been left alone to deal with this,” he said.