By Ben Kerrigan-
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has publicly affirmed his confidence in Justice Secretary David Lammy following the serious public safety breach involving the mistaken release of a foreign sex offender, Brahim Kaddour-Cherif.
The political maneuvering comes despite significant confusion and mounting public pressure regarding the exact timings of events, specifically what Lammy knew and when he knew it before facing scrutiny in the House of Commons.
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Lammy says he didn’t want to ‘mislead’ the Commons or public. Pic: Sky News
The crux of the David Lammy Prisoner Release Controversy hinges on the Justice Secretary’s decision to avoid answering direct questions about further mistaken releases during Wednesday’s Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs). Lammy, deputizing for the Prime Minister, was asked five specific times whether any foreign offenders had been mistakenly freed since the high-profile case of Hadush Kebatu, but he categorically refused to address the situation.
The timeline of the crucial week reveals a critical breakdown in communication and a lack of preparedness at the highest level of the Ministry of Justice. Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, an Algerian sex offender, was mistakenly released from HMP Wandsworth on October 29. It was not until 1:00 p.m. on November 4—seven full days later—that the Prison Service realized the 24-year-old was no longer in custody, immediately informing the Metropolitan Police and triggering a major manhunt.
Brahim Kaddour-Cherif. Pic: Sky News
The Ministry of Justice itself became aware of Kaddour-Cherif being on the run the evening of November 4, originally claiming Lammy was informed “overnight.” Lammy later stated he was informed on “Wednesday morning” (November 5), but admitted initial reports lacked necessary detail. Just as PMQs ended at 12:35 p.m. on November 5, news broke that a foreign offender had indeed been wrongly released and was on the run, immediately attracting furious attacks from the opposition for Lammy’s silence at the dispatch box.
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Faced with a political firestorm, David Lammy defended his refusal to answer questions at PMQs on November 6, telling journalists he “did not have all the detail” about the release ahead of time. He claimed he consciously chose not to risk “misleading the House” or the public with incomplete information.
However, critics argue this defense is inadequate, questioning why the Justice Secretary did not possess comprehensive details on a mistaken release that occurred an entire week earlier. Sir Keir Starmer defended Lammy late that day, asserting the Justice Secretary was “setting out the facts to the best of his knowledge,” providing the crucial prime ministerial backing needed to stabilize his position. Nevertheless, the political fallout from the David Lammy Prisoner Release Controversy is intensifying daily, directly tying the ministerial accountability to systemic failures in the correctional system.
Veteran Labour peer Baroness Harriet Harman weighed in, suggesting the multiple mistaken prisoner releases could ironically be an “opportunity” for the Justice Secretary. Speaking on the Electoral Dysfunction podcast, she asserted that the errors have effectively “shone a spotlight on a systemic problem which needs to be sorted out,” rather than becoming mere political infighting.
Baroness Harman encouraged Lammy to “roll up his sleeves” and secure the necessary resources and focus needed to overhaul his department. She highlighted staggering figures confirming 262 prisoners were mistakenly released in the 12 months leading up to March 2025, which translates to an unacceptable rate of “five a week, more or less being let out early.” The sheer volume confirms this is an enduring, systemic crisis, not an isolated incident.
The situation remains highly volatile as the facts continue to undermine the Ministry of Justice’s stated commitments. Following the high-profile mistaken release of Ethiopian national Hadush Kebatu in October, David Lammy publicly promised that stronger prison checks would be introduced immediately to prevent recurrence.
However, the subsequent release of Kaddour-Cherif occurred just two days later, on October 29, demonstrating a complete failure to implement or enforce the promised security measures effectively. Furthermore, another inmate, William “Billy” Smith, was mistakenly released on Monday. Although Smith voluntarily handed himself back into HMP Wandsworth on Thursday, Kaddour-Cherif remains at large and is currently the subject of a nationwide manhunt.
Brahim Kaddour-Cherif and William Smith. Pic: Met Police/Surrey Police
Lammy is facing severe criticism because his department clearly failed to prevent further mistakes immediately after his public assurances were given. The sequence of events reveals a deep-seated administrative collapse within the prison system that political promises alone cannot fix. The David Lammy Prisoner Release Controversy has therefore become the focal point for demanding real, substantive reform of the “archaic” paper-based systems blamed for these errors.
The fact that the Justice Secretary was unable to provide definitive answers at PMQs regarding an event that had transpired a full week prior solidifies the argument that the department is simply not in control of its own operations. Until the systems are modernized and reliable, the prisoner release controversy will continue to dominate the political agenda and compromise public safety. The pressure to secure Kaddour-Cherif’s capture is now immense, adding further urgency to the need for accountability and change.
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