Report from inquiry into Britain’s Post Office scandal highlights cases of suicides, bankruptcies

What: The first report from a public inquiry into Britain’s Post Office scandal was released, highlighting cases of suicides, bankruptcies, and wrongful prosecutions of postmasters due to faulty Horizon accounting software.

When: Report released Tuesday (July 8, 2025); scandal occurred between 1999 and 2015; inquiry set up in 2021; Royal Mail privatized in 2013; second report expected next year.

Where: United Kingdom (Britain’s Post Office, Ellesmere Port near Liverpool, Little Waltham, House of Commons).

Why: A glitch in the Post Office’s Horizon accounting software caused financial shortfalls, which the Post Office wrongly attributed to postmasters, pursuing criminal charges and financial penalties even after being aware of the software’s flaws.

How: The Post Office used faulty Horizon software, ignored warnings about its flaws, and aggressively pursued postmasters, leading to wrongful convictions, job losses, and severe personal trauma.