Victim of Northumberland predatory postman still waiting for direct apology from Royal Mail

One of the victims of former postman Michael Stewart, 63, who was convicted of multiple sexual offences against women in Northumberland, says she is still waiting for a direct apology from Royal Mail.

While the company issued a general statement apologising about Stewart’s “abhorrent” behaviour, one of the women affected says she has yet to receive any personal acknowledgment of the harm she suffered – or direct reassurances that meaningful action has been taken to prevent future abuse.

Stewart, of Amble, was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison after being found guilty of eight counts of sexual assault, three counts of exposure, and one count of harassment with fear of violence. His crimes spanned several decades and had a devastating impact on his victims, two of whom tragically passed away before seeing him brought to justice.

One victim took her own life while on the phone to Royal Mail management telling them of her ordeal.

Following the hearing, which took place earlier this month, one of Stewart’s victims has spoken out about the continued lack of accountability.

She said: “Michael Stewart was prosecuted, convicted, and sentenced – but I am still waiting for someone at Royal Mail to reach out to acknowledge what happened to me.

“Despite the seriousness of his actions, no one has contacted me directly to say sorry, to provide details of what the Royal Mail investigation identified in terms of failings, and exactly what steps have been taken to stop this from happening again.

“I feel I deserve to know what lessons have been learned.”

She also expressed how difficult it has been to come to terms with the fact that after everything Stewart did, he will only serve a matter of years, while the damage he caused his victims ‘will last a lifetime’.

Simpson Millar’s specialist Abuse Claims team, which represents the woman, has echoed these concerns. While Royal Mail has stated that it has implemented new internal reporting tools and clearer codes of conduct, survivors and their legal representatives insist that more transparency is needed.

Joshua Hurst, one of the abuse law specialists at Simpson Millar, said: “For survivors of sexual abuse, justice is about more than just a conviction – it’s about accountability. That means institutions acknowledging their failures, directly apologising to those harmed, and being fully transparent about the steps they are taking to prevent this from happening again.

“Royal Mail has stated that they commissioned an independent review following these events, but unless the findings are made public in full, how can victims or the wider public have confidence that real change has been made? Without transparency, there can be no trust.

“The abuse our client suffered has had a profound and lasting impact. While no amount of compensation can undo the harm caused, we are now working to ensure they have access to the rehabilitation and support they need to rebuild their life.”

Royal Mail were approached by ChronicleLive for comment, but at the time of writing have yet to reply.