Post Office Scandal may have Led to a Dozen Suicides

More than 13 people may have taken their own lives because of the Post Office Horizon scandal, with at least 59 more contemplating suicide, a public inquiry has found.

The report, led by retired judge Sir Wyn Williams, lays bare the “disastrous human impact” of what has been called the worst miscarriage of justice in UK history.

Over 1,000 post office operators were wrongly accused of theft or fraud due to bugs in the Horizon IT system.

Sir Wyn’s 162-page volume one report detailed the toll on victims.

He said: “Evidence has revealed a profoundly disturbing picture.”

While four suicides are officially linked to the scandal, Sir Wyn said the real number may exceed 13, as some deaths remain unreported.

He added: “On too many occasions, the Post Office and its advisers have adopted an unnecessarily adversarial attitude towards making initial offers, which have had the effect of depressing the level at which settlements have been achieved.”

Of the 59 individuals who considered suicide, 10 attempted to take their lives, some on more than one occasion.

The report stated: “Contemplating suicide was a common experience across both those who were and were not prosecuted.”

One former operator said: “The impact on me of the treatment the Post Office subjected me to has been immeasurable.

“The mental stress was so great for me that I had a mental breakdown and turned to alcohol as I sank further into depression.

“I attempted suicide on several occasions and was admitted to a mental health institution twice.”

Parmod Kalia was wrongly sentenced to six months in prison after £22,000 went missing. His conviction was overturned but the ordeal took a huge toll on him.

He revealed: “It’s destroyed me mentally, I have just cooped it up within myself – a buildup of not knowing what it was, no one to talk to, no one to discuss it with.

“I have lost 21 years of my life, no earning capacity.

“I have had a breakdown with my family, my wife, my children, shame in the community.

“I have attempted suicide on three occasions, it’s that as well.”

Sir Wyn Williams said he received over 200 witness statements, and almost all described “very significant” suffering.

Many endured severe hardship, including mental illness, bankruptcy, homelessness, or social exclusion.

The inquiry found the Horizon system’s flaws were known to Post Office executives, yet they “maintained the fiction that its data was always accurate.”

Between 1999 and 2015, around 1,000 sub-postmasters were prosecuted, with 50 to 60 more taken to court but not convicted.

Even those who were acquitted were often shunned by their communities. Some died before receiving any compensation. Estimates suggest around 350 victims have died without redress.

The report said approximately 10,000 people are now seeking compensation, with more than 3,000 claims still unresolved, half of them in the initial stages.

Sir Wyn urged the government and the Post Office to agree on a definition of “full and fair” compensation and to deliver it swiftly. He also called for free government-funded legal advice for victims.

The inquiry followed 225 days of hearings and 298 witnesses.

No date has been set for volume two, which will cover technical failures, legal processes, and institutional culture. It could be published in 2026.

The government has already paid out more than £1 billion in compensation to 7,300 individuals, according to figures from June. Payments have ranged from £10,000 to more than £1 million.

Following the ITV drama Mr Bates vs the Post Office, which aired in January 2024, public awareness surged. The government responded by legislating to exonerate those wrongly prosecuted. The bill passed in June.

In her first budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said £1.8 billion had been set aside to cover compensation. As the Post Office’s sole shareholder, the government is liable for the full cost.

Postal minister Gareth Thomas said: “Sir Wyn’s recommendations are immensely helpful as a guide for what is needed to finish the job, and we will respond in full to parliament after carefully considering them.”

Sir Wyn gave the government until October 10 to respond and urged ministers, the Post Office, and Fujitsu, the developer of the flawed system, to present a plan for restorative justice by the end of that month.