More than 13 people may have killed themselves as a result of the Post Office Horizon scandal, according to the first tranche of a public inquiry’s report into what has been described as the worst miscarriage of justice in UK history.
The inquiry chairman, retired judge Sir Wyn Williams, said at least 59 people “contemplated suicide at various points in time” and “attributed this to their experiences with Horizon and/or the Post Office”.
He made the remarks in a report which laid bare the “disastrous human impact” for the 1,000-plus post office workers wrongly accused of taking money from their branches because of faulty software.
Sir Wyn said “bankruptcies had occurred” and “marriage and families have been wrecked” over the scandal, adding: “The picture which has emerged is profoundly disturbing.”
After the report was released, former subpostmistress Jo Hamilton, who was falsely prosecuted for a shortfall of £36,000 at her Post Office branch, said: “It shows the full scale of the horror that they unleashed on us. We were just decent people trying to do a day’s work for our community.”
In a landmark moment for victims and their families, the 162-page report also found:
- A “real possibility” that 13 people had taken their own lives as a result of the suffering they endured during the scandal, while at least 59 had contemplated suicide
- 10,000 people are eligible to submit compensation claims over the scandal
- Post Office bosses should have known Horizon was faulty but “maintained the fiction that its data was always accurate” and engaged in “wholly unacceptable behaviour” towards victims
- Postmasters faced “egregious delays” receiving compensation, with many settling for less than they believed to be “full and fair redress”
The scandal was propelled into the spotlight in January last year following the airing of ITV’s drama Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, starring actor Toby Jones about Sir Alan Bates, former sub-postmaster and founder of the Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance.
Ex-Post Office chief executive Paula Vennells is accused of overseeing a huge number of wrongful prosecutions and convictions, and was in post at the time Sir Wyn said bosses should have known Horizon was faulty.
Sir Wyn said “a number of senior” people at the organisation were aware the system, known as Legacy Horizon, was capable of error up until it was changed in 2010, with a number of employees also aware the updated system, Horizon Online, also had bugs and defects.
He also singled out the behaviour of Post Office investigators, saying subpostmasters “will have been in wholly unfamiliar territory and they will have found the experience to be troubling at best and harrowing at worst”.
In an emotional speech after the publication of the report, which he described as a “difficult read”, Sir Wyn said: “Many people have suffered emotional turmoil and significant stress.
“In consequence, many businesses and homes have been lost. Bankruptcies have occurred. Marriage and families have been wrecked.”
He added: “I received reports that some people held liable for shortfalls became ill as a consequence. Tragically, I heard too of people, of whom it is said that they were driven to take their own lives.”
Sir Wyn also criticised the Post Office and the government over what he called the “egregious” delays in compensation to victims of the scandal. He said the Post Office and its advisers had “simply failed to grasp how difficult it would be to provide appropriate financial redress.”
He said: “I readily accept that even if my recommendations are accepted and implemented as quickly as I would like, they will not constitute some magic formula for removing all of the problems from which the schemes suffer.
“As my report makes clear, I am critical of the Post Office and the Department (of Business and Trade) in relation to the development and evolution of these schemes in a number of important respects – not least in relation to some of the egregious delays which have occurred.
“I cannot say plainly enough that there should not have been four distinct and separate schemes for delivering financial redress.”
The publication of the first tranche of the report on Tuesday focused solely on the devastating impact of the scandal on victims and the compensation offered to subpostmasters, with a further report potentially attributing blame expected at a later date.
Teasing his conclusions for the final overarching report, which is still likely to be some months away, Sir Wyn said: “Although many of the individuals who gave evidence before me were very reluctant to accept it, I am satisfied from the evidence that I have heard that a number of senior, and not-so-senior employees of the Post Office knew or, at the very least should have known, that Legacy Horizon was capable of error.
“Yet for all practical purposes, throughout the lifetime of Legacy Horizon, the Post Office maintained the fiction that its data was always accurate.”
Sir Wyn made a total of 19 recommendations as part of his report, including that the government and the Post Office should make a public announcement about what they mean by “full and fair redress”. In response, the government confirmed it will compensate family members affected by the scandal, one of Sir Wyn’s recommendations.
Sir Wyn also said claimants who apply for compensation as part of the main scheme, the Horizon Shortfall Scheme, should be entitled to free legal advice.
The chairman also addressed criticism of another scheme, the Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme, saying claimants should be entitled to the £600,000 fixed offer even if they submit their own detailed individual claim.
Sir Wyn urged the government to establish a public body to devise, administer and deliver compensation to those wronged by authorities.
Jonathan Reynolds, the business secretary, said: “The publication of the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry’s report today by Sir Wyn and his team marks an important milestone for subpostmasters and their families.”
He added: “I welcome the publication today and am committed to ensuring wronged subpostmasters are given full, fair, and prompt redress.
“The recommendations contained in Sir Wyn’s report require careful reflection, including on further action to complete the redress schemes. Government will promptly respond to the recommendations in full in Parliament.”
Post Office chairman Nigel Railton welcomed the report and promised to do “everything in my power” to make sure postmasters “receive the redress they are entitled to”.
He said: “Lots of people made choices over two decades which caused serious harm to so many people. Post Office did not listen to postmasters and, as an organisation, we let them down. Postmasters and their families have suffered years of pain. It has taken them too long to clear their names and, in many cases, to receive redress.”
In a statement, the Post Office said: “The inquiry has brought to life the devastating stories of those impacted by the Horizon Scandal.
“Their experiences represent a shameful period in our history.
“Today, we apologise unreservedly for the suffering which Post Office caused to postmasters and their loved ones. We will carefully consider the report and its recommendations.”
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you
