Post Office Horizon Scandal: Final Report Reveals Over 10,000 Impacted
A final report into the Horizon IT scandal has found that more than 10,000 people were affected by the faulty Post Office system, in what has been described as one of the worst miscarriages of justice in British history.
The long-awaited inquiry, published this morning, confirms that over 1,000 sub-postmasters and workers were wrongly prosecuted for theft, false accounting and fraud. Many were imprisoned, made bankrupt, or suffered severe mental health consequences. At least 13 suicides are now believed to be connected to the ordeal.
Inquiry Chair Sir Wyn Williams said Post Office executives “maintained the fiction” that the Horizon system was reliable, despite growing evidence to the contrary. The report accuses both the Post Office and Fujitsu, the software’s developer, of knowingly suppressing information about the system’s faults.
Campaigners have welcomed the report’s findings but called on the government to act quickly. Current compensation schemes have been criticised for being fragmented and painfully slow, with many victims still waiting for redress.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the report as “a damning indictment” of institutional failure and pledged that full compensation would be delivered. The government has set a deadline of 10 October to respond in full to the inquiry’s recommendations.
More than two decades after the first wrongful convictions, many of those affected say they are still waiting for justice—and want those responsible to be held accountable.
