A convicted sex offender, Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, has been taken back into custody after being mistakenly released from Wandsworth Prison in south London. The 24-year-old Algerian was freed on October 29, 2023, and was recaptured in Islington on November 3, 2023, following a manhunt by the Metropolitan Police.
The error in Kaddour-Cherif’s release has prompted frustration within law enforcement, as the mistake was not reported to the police until a week later, on November 4. This delay allowed him a “six-day head start,” complicating the search efforts.
Kaddour-Cherif had been serving a sentence for trespass with intent to steal when he was erroneously released. His criminal record also includes a conviction for indecent exposure, for which he received an 18-month community order and was placed on the sex offender register for five years in November 2024.
Originally entering the UK on a visitor visa in 2019, Kaddour-Cherif was flagged as an overstayer on February 6, 2020, yet he had not been deported. It is understood he was in the initial stages of deportation proceedings for this overstaying when he was mistakenly released. The police report indicates that he had not applied for asylum during his time in the UK.
Kaddour-Cherif is known to use variations of his first name, including Ibrahim, and has been linked to areas such as Westminster and Tower Hamlets. His case has raised concerns about the processes in place for monitoring and managing offenders, particularly those with immigration issues.
The incident underscores the need for improved coordination between different law enforcement and immigration agencies to prevent such errors in the future.
