Manhunt for Epping hotel migrant who sexually assaulted girl after accidental jail release

Police have launched a manhunt for Hadush Kebatu, the Epping hotel asylum seeker whose sexual assault on a school girl sparked a wave of protests across the UK.

The 41-year-old from Ethiopia was meant to be sent to an immigration detention centre to be deported, but was mistakenly freed in the "mother of all f*** ups", it has been claimed. A senior justice source said Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy is aware and "furious". They added: "He has been released in error - this is the mother of all f*** ups. It is down to human error, with the wrong paperwork on it or something," reports The Sun.

Kebatu had been jailed on September 23 for 12 months after being found guilty of touching and trying to kiss a schoolgirl in Epping on July 7 and 8. He was placed on the UK sex offenders' register for ten years.

His arrest led to a wave of demonstrations outside The Bell Hotel in Epping, where he was staying as an asylum seeker from Ethiopia.

This triggered nationwide protests outside of hotels housing asylum seekers, with anti-migration and counter-protestors clashing in cities across the UK.

At trial, where he denied all offences, the court heard that the 41-year-old tried to kiss the teenage girl on a bench whilst also asking her to kiss him, and made numerous sexually explicit comments.

The following afternoon, he tried to kiss the same girl before sexually assaulting her, and made further sexually explicit comments despite being told the girl's age and the fact that she was wearing her school uniform.

The court heard he made comments such as "you would be a good wife" and "we will have babies".

Shortly before this interaction, Kebatu had sexually assaulted and attempted to kiss an adult woman who had offered to help him create a CV to find work.

When she then saw Kebatu also interacting inappropriately with the teenage girl, she called 999 and he was arrested.

According to his own account, Kebatu left Ethiopia and travelled through Sudan, Libya, Italy, and France before crossing the Channel to the UK on a small boat in 2025.