UK woman learns attacker freed, deported five months after it happened
A British woman stabbed by her boss in 2022 says she only found out five months later that her attacker had been released early from prison and deported. The Ministry of Justice admitted an administrative error.
Hannah Pritchett was 18 when her boss, Luisa Santos, stabbed her in the lower back and hip with a fish knife during a waitressing shift at a pub in Warwickshire in May 2022. Santos falsely accused the teenager of having an affair with her husband before the attack.
That October, Santos was convicted of attempted murder and sentenced to 10 years in prison. However, in January 2026 she was released under the Early Removal Scheme, which allows foreign national prisoners in England and Wales to leave custody earlier than usual, under certain conditions, so they can be deported.
Found out five months later
Pritchett did not learn that her attacker had left prison until five months after it happened. She told the BBC the experience made her feel like an "afterthought," calling it "just appalling."
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said the crime was "awful" and that their thoughts remain with Pritchett, adding that keeping victims informed is a vital part of their work and that they are committed to improving the service.
Asked by the BBC what timeline victims should expect for being told about an offender's release under the scheme, the ministry said the goal is to contact all victims as soon as possible once information becomes available. In Pritchett's case, who was notified by the Victims Liaison Unit in June, an administrative error had occurred, and the matter was escalated to management at both the unit and the relevant prison.
Santos served three years and eight months before being deported. The BBC is still seeking clarification on her nationality. The ministry noted that foreign nationals deported under the scheme are permanently banned from returning to the UK.
Now 23 and living in Coventry, Pritchett said she had expected Santos to remain in prison until 2032 and had hoped that time would help her come to terms with the attack. Learning of the early release, she said, made her feel everything she had fought for was pointless, and left her feeling let down by the justice system. Pritchett underwent surgery after the attack and said she considered herself incredibly lucky to have survived.
