Post office Scandal - public inquiry

I was just about to post the same thing luckygirl. It's an absolute scandal, beyond heartbreaking for the families involved and surely criminal negligence deserving nothing less than jail sentences for those responsible.

I agree Sarnia, why does racism have to be mentioned here?

It's a disgrace and unbelievable that no one made the connection between these supposed shortfalls of money and a new computer package.

I was already aware of this Dinahmo and I feel absolutely gutted for the poor post masters and mistresses who have had to endure this awful ordeal. Some of them have served time in prison. It’s just awful.

What is worrying is that, as Marina Hyde pointed out in her article, there seems to be a growing attitude that the computer cannot be wrong.

But computer programmes have real live people writing them, and installing them, who can be as prone to error as any other person.

Over all, the UK's experience with IT doesn't seem to be a particularly good one.

I agree that heads should roll over this. Those poor, poor people. To go from the centre of a community to a pariah overnight must be terrible.

They should be very well compensated - for the money they lost, for the trauma they suffered, and for the years of unemployment they probably went through as a result. Money can't pay back the loss of reputation, but there should be a genuine attempt to do so.

It does indeed seem utterly amazing that no-one in the PO noticed a link between lots of "cheating" staff and the introduction of the computer system. Unless it was usual to have this number of apparently dishonest staff - which I doubt - surely they must have noticed something.

I am so glad that our lovely old postmistress in the village retired shortly before all this started. She had worked her tripe out trying to get her head round all the technology she had to use - I dread to think what would have happened to her if she had been involved in it all - she was the hub of our small community.

What happened to these people is utterly appalling. Justice demands that those responsible also serve prison sentences as many of their "victims" did.

Unfortunately I was on the Jury for one of these cases. I maintained the accused innocence and have felt troubled by the case ever since. I'm so, so pleased the whole sordid affair is finally being looked into.

I can't understand why someone within the Post office IT Dept didn't twig that so many Post office managers where on the fiddle? Unbelievable! This is all shameful, utterly shameful. Lives destroyed, and reputation trashed.
With them all the way.

MayBee70

Why has this taken so long. Many innocent people have been put through hell. DH has been following this for years and he’s appalled by it. The government minister responsible is still a government minister I believe (?).

The same with the Hillsborough disaster. 27 years of the victim's families fighting for justice. Disgraceful and disrespectful to take so long with these inquiries while the families suffer every day.

Why has this taken so long. Many innocent people have been put through hell. DH has been following this for years and he’s appalled by it. The government minister responsible is still a government minister I believe (?).

I agree with with Dinahmo (re racism) and Kim (re compensation) - there is more than a hint of racism here ….

If found guilty (and how can they not be?!) I'd like to see all of those individuals at fault fined the maximum possible personally payable immediately AND jailed for the longest sentence. I'd also like to see those wrongly accused afforded the maximum possible financial compensation even although I know it is the taxpayer who will foot the bill. I've heard of someone being offered the amount they 'paid back' as compensation. What a cheek and insult. Will it ever end? I know nothing can repay the awful injustices these people have suffered but we can at least try?

I'm thinking more of 'possibly' the police, Sarnia. All these prosecutions had to go through the usual procedures.

I don't think that the Horizon computer system was discriminatory, Dinahmo. It seems to have been quite random in its choice of victims.

Though, in view of reporting on systemic racism in a number of organisations it 'might' be possible that racism played a part in believing the victim's stories. OTOH, I haven't heard of any subpostmasters/mistresses being free from prosecution.

This is a heartbreaking public scandal. It utterly ruined 100s of completely innocent people's lives.I sincerely hope that those responsible pay some sort of penalty.

Why does racism have to be mentioned in everything these days? Racism from who? The Post Office, their customers, Horizon, Fujitsu, Vennells, the Government? Sub post offices in my experience were very often run by Asian people who, as you say, have a strong work ethic. There are also white ex-sub postmasters and mistresses here who were treated in the most appalling way. They have had to wait 20 years for any sort of inquiry. Their stories are harrowing but for the life of me I don't see why you mention racism.