Released Prisoner and Sex Offender Tracked Down and Arrested
Brahim Kaddour Cherif, a registered sex offender, was mistakenly released from HMP Wandsworth, leading to a widespread manhunt. The Metropolitan Police were informed of his release on Tuesday and quickly launched a search to locate him.
Cherif, a 24-year-old Algerian national, was convicted in November 2024 of indecent exposure related to an incident in March 2024. He received an 18-month community order and was placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for five years. Authorities believed he had connections to Tower Hamlets and frequented the Westminster area.
A Met Police spokesperson said: "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."
In addition to the arrest for unlawful release, Cherif was also detained on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker in an unrelated case. He has been taken into police custody, and the Prison Service has been notified.
Author's summary: Brahim Kaddour Cherif, mistakenly freed from prison despite sex offender status, was recaptured rapidly after a public tip-off, highlighting swift police action.