Sex Offender Released by Mistake Found and Arrested
A large-scale manhunt was launched after Brahim Kaddour Cherif, a sex offender, was mistakenly released from HMP Wandsworth prison. The Metropolitan Police were informed of his release on Tuesday and immediately deployed officers to find him.
Background and Conviction
Cherif, aged 24, was convicted in November 2024 of indecent exposure related to an incident in March 2024, according to the Daily Star. He received an 18-month community order and was placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for five years.
Investigation and Location
Authorities noted Cherif is an Algerian national with known links to Tower Hamlets and the Westminster area. On the morning of Friday, 7 November, a public sighting near Capital City College on Blackstock Road, Islington, triggered a police response.
“At 11.23am on Friday, 7 November, a call was received from a member of the public reporting a sighting of a man they believed to be Brahim Kaddour-Cherif in the vicinity of Capital City College on Blackstock Road in Islington.
Officers responded immediately and at 11.30am detained a man matching Cherif's description. His identity was confirmed and he was arrested for being unlawfully at large.
He was also arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker in relation to a previous unrelated incident.”
Outcome
Cherif was quickly located and taken into custody, ending the search prompted by his erroneous release.
Author’s summary: Brahim Kaddour Cherif, a sex offender mistakenly freed from prison, was swiftly arrested after a public tip-off led police to his location in Islington.