Administrative Negligence Or System Failure? Release Of Convict From British Prison Raises Questions

When a sex offender and Ethiopian refugee, Hadosh Gerber Selassie Kibatu, was released from prison due to a simple administrative error. This is the man who was sentenced to 12 months in prison and a five-year “sexual harm prevention order” last month for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. The incident came to light when prison authorities admitted that Kibatu was due to be transferred to an immigration detention centre after his sentence so that he could be deported, but due to an administrative error he was released. The incident has not only caused public outrage but also dealt a serious blow to the British justice system. Justice Minister and Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy expressed his deep anger at the incident and ordered an immediate investigation. According to him, “It is unacceptable that a criminal who was due to be deported is walking free. Such people should be punished according to justice, not be free on the streets.”
This incident actually reveals the administrative malaise, staff shortages, and data management weaknesses within the British judicial system. In recent years, criticism of the British prison and immigration systems has increased, especially in sensitive cases related to refugees. According to analysts, this incident has weakened the British government’s lofty claims of “delivering justice”. The release of a person who is a legally convicted sex offender is not only a shock to the victim’s family, but also a serious threat to social security.
Moreover, this is not the first time that dangerous individuals have been released due to administrative errors in the British system. There have been many cases in the past in which prisoners were either released by mistake or their supervision was grossly negligent. The question is now being raised urgently as to why such serious systemic flaws persist in a well-organized state like the United Kingdom? Was it just an individual mistake, or does the entire system require reform? Ultimately, this incident is a sobering warning for the British government — if prison and immigration If transparency, accountability, and modern administrative reforms are not implemented in the system, such incidents in the future could damage both public trust and state prestige.