Convicted sex offender Hadush Kebatu has been arrested in north London, two days after he was mistakenly released from prison.
The former asylum seeker was wrongly set free when he was due to be sent to an immigration detention centre to be deported on Friday.
He was arrested this morning in the Finsbury Park area of London, the Metropolitan Police confirmed.
Kebatu became one of the country’s highest-profile sex offenders after reports of his crimes sparked protests at the Bell Hotel in Epping, where he was staying while seeking asylum after arriving in the UK by small boat.
The Ethiopian national told two teenagers he wanted to ‘have a baby with each of them’ before trying to kiss them, putting his hand on one of the girls’ thighs and stroking her hair.
He also sexually assaulted a woman by trying to kiss her, putting his hand on her leg and telling her she was pretty.
In response, demonstrators began to gather outside the hotel where he was staying, and protests spread to other hotels housing migrants.
The local council sought an injunction trying to ban the hotel from being used to house asylum seekers – but this was overturned after the government appealed.
Kebatu’s release caused major embarrassment for the government, with Justice Secretary David Lammy saying he was ‘livid’ on behalf of the public over the error.
This morning, Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: ‘There does need to be accountability for such an egregious failure.’
In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said: ‘Hadush Kebatu, who was released in error from HMP Chelmsford, has been arrested.
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‘Kebatu was located by Met officers near Finsbury Park at around 8.30am thanks to information received from a member of the public.
‘He will be returned to the custody of the Prison Service.’
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