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British post office scandal worse than expected: at least 13 people committed suicide

As many as 13 Britons committed suicide as a result of a scandal in which post office administrators were wrongly prosecuted for theft and embezzlement. This is stated in a report presented by examining magistrate Sir Wyn Williams on Tuesday. The suffering among the victims turned out to be greater than expected.

This article was written byPatrick van IJzendoorn

is the UK correspondent for de Volkskrant.

Published on July 8, 2025, 5:08 PM

After the introduction of the new Horizon software system in 1999, hundreds of so-called sub-postmasters, post office managers, dealing with mysterious cash shortages.

The Post Office, the British equivalent of PostNL, claimed that there was nothing wrong with the accounting system and decided to prosecute nearly a thousand people. These prosecutions would last sixteen years, even after strong suspicions were raised about bugs and other defects in the Japanese Fujitsu system.

It led to great human suffering. Hundreds of people ended up in prison, fell into deep debt and lost not only their jobs but also their homes.

A years-long investigation by Sir Wyn now shows that thirteen victims took their own lives. That is more than expected. Dozens of others have considered committing suicide, according to the 162-page report. According to the retired judge, the behavior of both The Post Office and Fujitsu was “totally unacceptable.”

Mr Bates vs The Post Office

One of the victims was Martin Griffiths, who ended his life in 2013 at the age of 59. The Post Office had these sub-postmaster from Ellesmere Port, in the north-west of England, falsely accused of stealing a hundred thousand pounds.

After his death, his widow Gina received dropwise compensation from the company, on the condition that she would not speak about the abuses that had driven her husband to suicide. She had to sign a nondisclosure agreement.

Griffiths' fate comes out in award-winning drama series Mr Bates vs The Post Office, which was broadcast by ITV early last year. The series has also been shown on Dutch television. Alan Bates, himself a victim sub-postmaster, led the successful fight for justice.

In 2009, the scandal came to light for the first time in an article by an investigative journalist in the journal. Computer Weekly. Six years later, the victims won a civil lawsuit against The Post Office.

Police investigation

For the first time, it has now been proven that while people were still being prosecuted, staff at The Post Office and Fujitsu knew that something was thoroughly wrong with the software. The London Police Force is now investigating the involvement of 45 people, seven of whom are identified as prime suspects.

In addition, a lot of attention is paid to Paula Vennells, who was the boss of The Post Office between 2012 and 2019. She has already given up her royal award.

Victims are still fighting for compensation. Both the British government and The Post Office are not up to date.

The investigation includes the fate of Jayakanthan Sivasubramaniam, a father of two who committed suicide after being held responsible for the disappearance of 170,000 pounds by detectives from The Post Office. The Post Office has refused to include this tragic case in the compensation program that the government has established.

Talking about thoughts of suicide is possible at 113 Suicide Prevention. Call 0800-0113 or 113 for an interview. You can also chat at www.113.nl.

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