Inquiry: Horizon Scandal Tied to Suicides, Fujitsu Implicated

A public inquiry into the Post Office Horizon IT scandal found that at least 13 postmasters died by suicide and 59 more contemplated suicide after being wrongly accused due to faulty accounting software. The inquiry, chaired by Sir Wyn Williams, revealed that both the Post Office and software developer Fujitsu knew of the system's flaws but continued prosecutions based on inaccurate data. Around 1,000 postmasters were prosecuted, with thousands more affected, facing consequences such as bankruptcy, divorce, and public abuse. The compensation process has been criticized as adversarial, and up to 10,000 individuals, including close family members, may be eligible for redress. The report calls for urgent, fair compensation and the creation of an independent body to oversee redress for those wronged by public bodies. Additional findings and recommendations on the conduct of senior management and government ministers are expected in future reports.