Mr Bates vs The Post Office depicts one of the UK's worst miscarriages of justice: here’s why so many victims didn’t speak out
However, viewers might find themselves with one looming unanswered question as they watch: how could this persist, at such a scale, for so long?
- However, viewers might find themselves with one looming unanswered question as they watch: how could this persist, at such a scale, for so long?
- The efforts of Bates and others have been invaluable – but they are a tiny subset of the overall victims.
- By and large, most sub-postmaster victims did not speak out about the injustice they faced.
- This article is part of Conversation Insights
The Insights team generates long-form journalism derived from interdisciplinary research. - The team is working with academics from different backgrounds who have been engaged in projects aimed at tackling societal and scientific challenges.
Sub-postmasters told they were the ‘only ones’
- I was led to believe at this meeting that I was the only sub-postmaster who was having problems with shortfalls.
- It made me feel stupid that I was the only person who had these issues.
- I confirmed that I had not done anything wrong and asked again about issues with the Horizon system.
- I was led to believe at this meeting that I was the only sub-postmaster who was having problems with shortfalls.
- Being told they were the only one not only discouraged victims from speaking out, it also planted a seed of self-doubt in many of their minds.
‘Spat on, shouted at and shunned’
- While the drama focuses on the heartwarming story of Hamilton, who received an inordinate amount of support from her local community, most sub-postmasters were not so lucky.
- Our analyses of the public inquiry statements reveal the local stigmatisation and shame that many felt.
- There are vivid accounts of sub-postmasters being spat on, shouted at and shunned.
- Those who experienced a wrongful accusation had similar negative mental health outcomes as those who were wrongfully convicted.
- Our research leads us to believe these feelings of shame and experiences of stigmatisation discouraged people from speaking out about the injustice.
Victims were unable to defend themselves
- Imagine that, tomorrow morning, you walk into work and are called into your line-manager’s office.
- They accuse you of something and tell you to gather your personal items as you are being sacked.
- This is the nightmare reality that sub-postmasters who were accused of theft and false accounting often faced.
- As one victim, Keith Macaldowie, recalled during the inquiry:
They closed the office when they suspended me, so I couldn’t gain access. - Overall, we found the lack of access to information that could prove the sub-postmasters’ innocence discouraged them from trying to speak out.
‘The Queen’s business’
- As one of the victims, Nicola Arch, told us:
Working for the Post Office, it was the Queen’s business. - The Queen acknowledges the Post Office — her face is on the stamps.
- In that era, everyone believed that it was a very prestigious company to work for, very respected … Everyone thought the Post Office could never be wrong.
- The Queen acknowledges the Post Office — her face is on the stamps.
- Despite individual appeals by sub-postmasters, Post Office managers did not challenge the leadership or organisation, and apparently believed their systems, including Horizon, were infallible.
The myth of ‘infallible systems’
- It also fuelled their self-doubt about whether this “perfect” system really could have any bugs in it.
- When injustices comes to light, often years after harm has occurred, we often hear people ask: ‘If this was going on, why didn’t they tell someone?
- Post Office employees have given evidence confirming that sub-postmasters were subject to “good character checks”.
- This alone should have raised concerns about these accusations, both inside and outside the Post Office.
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Grace Augustine receives funding from the British Academy / Leverhulme Trust for her research on the Post Office Horizon IT Scandal project. Jan Lodge receives funding from the British Academy / Leverhulme Trust for his research on the Post Office Horizon IT Scandal project. Mislav Radic receives funding from the British Academy / Leverhulme Trust for his research on the Post Office Horizon IT Scandal project.