Six postal workers took their own lives while others became seriously ill or were declared bankrupt, a public inquiry into Britain's Post Office IT scandal says as it lays bare the impact on more than 1000 sub-postmasters.
The state-owned Post Office pursued branch managers for losses in their accounts caused by flaws in an IT system from about 2000 to 2013, resulting in about 1000 of them being convicted in one of the country's biggest miscarriages of justice.
Outrage about the scandal erupted in 2024 after ITV dramatised the managers' campaign in Mr Bates vs the Post Office, leading to legislation to exonerate those convicted.
Public inquiry chair Wyn Williams said he was satisfied that Post Office executives knew, or at least should have known, that the IT system supplied by Fujitsu was capable of error but they maintained the fiction that it was accurate.
He called for urgent action to ensure full compensation in the first volume of his report.
Williams said it was impossible to ascertain exactly how many people had been affected, but he said there were about 10,000 eligible claimants across four compensation schemes.
Detailing 17 first-hand accounts, Williams said suffering ranged from those held liable for small amounts of money to those who were wrongly imprisoned, fell seriously ill or were driven to despair and suicide.
Postmaster Martin Griffiths was given notice of termination of his contract in 2013 after shortfalls in his accounts.Â
He then deliberately walked in front of a bus, suffering multiple injuries that caused his death at age 59.
Others suffered mental and physical health problems, bankruptcy and relationship breakdowns, the 162-page-report says.
Williams recommended free legal advice, compensation for family members and a commitment to true "full and fair" compensation.
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