Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Rajeev Syal Home affairs editor

Ministers warned not to scapegoat prison staff over mistaken release of Hadush Kebatu

entrance to the prison with a brick gateway and sign which reads: 'HMP and YOI Chelmsford: setting a new standard'. A union jack flag flies and there is a large blue wheelie bin in the foreground of the low stone building.
‘Serious mistakes’ had been made at HMP Chelmsford, said Charlie Taylor, the chief inspector of prisons. Photograph: Alishia Abodunde/Getty Images

Ministers have been warned against scapegoating prison staff as they struggle to contain the political fallout of the mistaken release of an asylum seeker who sexually assaulted a teenage girl.

As David Lammy, the justice secretary, announced an inquiry and blamed “human error” for the accidental freeing of Hadush Kebatu from HMP Chelmsford on Friday, the Prison Officers’ Association (POA) has questioned why a single member of staff has been “unjustly” suspended.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.