Fury Over Wrongful Releases from HMP Wandsworth
Two prisoners were mistakenly released from HMP Wandsworth in south-west London and are now on the run. Among them is Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, a 24-year-old Algerian convicted sex offender, who was wrongly freed on October 29. Police were only informed six days later about his release.
In a separate error, Billy Smith, 35, was released on Monday—the very day he was jailed for fraud.
Official Reactions and Criticism
- Nigel Farage, Reform UK leader, described the situation as “a total farce” with “another dangerous criminal on the loose thanks to Labour.”
- Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called the events “a shambles.”
Details of the Released Prisoners
Brahim Kaddour-Cherif was convicted in March 2024 for exposing himself in Lloyd Park, Walthamstow, and was given a community order by Inner London Crown Court in November last year after pleading guilty to burglarizing the Royal Society of Literature.
His release comes just days after the high-profile release of migrant sex offender Hadush Kebatu from HMP Chelmsford.
"Another dangerous criminal is on the loose thanks to Labour." – Nigel Farage
"The situation is a shambles." – Kemi Badenoch
Police continue to search for both escaped prisoners following these serious administrative errors.
Author's summary: Two prisoners were mistakenly released from HMP Wandsworth, sparking outrage and criticism of the prison system's failures in managing dangerous offenders.