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 quickly deployed officers to locate him.
Cherif, aged 24 and an Algerian national, was convicted in November 2024 of indecent exposure related to an incident earlier that year. He received an 18-month community order and was placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for five years. Authorities noted his links to Tower Hamlets and that he was known to frequent the Westminster area.
"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."
The manhunt ended successfully with Cherif's arrest shortly after the public sighting.
Summary: An Algerian sex offender mistakenly released from prison was swiftly found and arrested following a public sighting and coordinated police response, highlighting effective law enforcement and community vigilance.