Hannah Pritchett, now 23, stated that she felt like an "afterthought" after discovering her former boss, Luisa Santos, was released from prison in January 2026, five months after her departure.
Santos was convicted of attempted murder for stabbing Pritchett, then 18, in May 2022 at the Three Horseshoes pub in Princethorpe, Warwickshire. Pritchett was stabbed in the lower back and hip with a fish knife. Santos falsely accused Pritchett of having an affair with her husband. In October 2022, Santos was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Santos was released under the Early Removal Scheme, which permits foreign national inmates in England and Wales to be deported before the end of their sentences under specific criteria. She had served three years and eight months of her sentence before deportation.
Pritchett learned of Santos's release in June 2026 from the Victims Liaison Unit. She stated that she had expected Santos to remain incarcerated until 2032 and had anticipated having that time to process the attack. The delayed notification significantly worsened the impact of the news.
"When you get told on a random Tuesday in June that your attacker is now out and [is not serving] their sentence any longer it makes you feel that everything you have fought for was for nothing," Pritchett told the BBC. "Receiving that news was incredibly difficult and left me feeling let down by the justice system."
A Ministry of Justice (MOJ) spokesperson acknowledged the severity of the crime and expressed that their thoughts remain with Pritchett. The spokesperson stated that keeping victims informed is a vital part of their work and that they are committed to improving their service.
Regarding the delay in Pritchett's notification, the MOJ cited an administrative error. The matter has been escalated to management within both the Victims Liaison Unit and the prison involved. The MOJ indicated that the intention is to contact all victims as soon as possible once information regarding an offender's release under the removal scheme becomes available.
Pritchett underwent surgery following the attack and considered herself fortunate to have survived. The experience has led her to believe that victims are not prioritized in such decisions. Foreign nationals deported under the Early Removal Scheme are permanently banned from returning to the UK.