The first part of the final report from the Horizon IT Inquiry has landed, and it doesn’t pull its punches.
It confirms what campaigners and victims have been saying for years: the Post Office scandal wasn’t just a mistake. It was a devastating miscarriage of justice, caused by serious failings from both the Post Office and Fujitsu, with a human cost that is hard to comprehend.
Victims of a broken system
According to the report, over 900 sub-postmasters were wrongfully prosecuted over a 15-year period, accused of theft, false accounting, and fraud based on faulty Horizon software. Many lost their homes, their health, their freedom. Some lost their lives. The inquiry described the impact as “disastrous”, and said victims were subjected to “wholly unacceptable behaviour” by both the Post Office and Fujitsu.
It’s a stark reminder that these weren’t faceless case files. These were real people, parents, neighbours, small business owners, whose lives were shattered.
The damage runs deep
The report goes further, documenting how many victims were ostracised by their communities. Some were driven to self-harm or alcohol misuse. At least 13 people took their own lives with at least another 59 who contemplated suicide. Others died before their names were cleared.
One former sub-postmistress, Seema Misra, was pregnant when she was wrongly jailed. She later gave birth while wearing an electronic tag. She told the BBC: “The actual culprits need to go behind bars.”
Her story is not unique. And while the Post Office has now issued another apology, many victims say those words feel empty without accountability.
A slow road to compensation
One of the biggest criticisms from the inquiry is how compensation has been handled – or mishandled. Victims have faced “formidable difficulties” getting redress, with the process described as slow, confusing, and in many cases, still incomplete. Some are still waiting. Others say the money doesn’t come close to making up for what they lost.
The government has promised a programme of restorative justice, and says it will consider redress for close family members. But the report makes clear: this process has been far too slow, and many are still being failed.
So, what happens next?
We’re still waiting for the part of the inquiry that will name names and apportion blame- that’s expected later this year. But already, it’s clear: the system failed. And not just once. Repeatedly. Across years. With catastrophic consequences.
At Join the Claim, we believe that justice isn’t just about compensation, it’s about truth, accountability, and change. The Horizon report is a crucial step in the right direction, but as campaigners have said today, justice still feels a long way off.
To every sub-postmaster and family affected: we see you. And we stand with you.
