Survivors of the Post Office Horizon scandal have experienced deep trauma and can be left feeling re-victimised, a study has found.
Academics have shown how deeply lives have and continue to be affected by the scandal, which hit the public consciousness following the broadcast of the Bafta-winning ITV drama Mr Bates Vs The Post Office.
The study reveals how the trauma of the Post Office’s misconduct has rippled out through victims families’ lives and how many have been re-victimised at each stage of their fight for justice.
The research from the University of Exeter and UCL lays bare how the stigma of false accusation and financial ruin devastated the lives of subpostmasters and those close to them.
It also shows how having to engage with an adversarial legal system to fight for justice, and bureaucratic and slow redress schemes, have often caused secondary re-victimisation.
Their experiences highlight that there is a need to reform the legal system so it better serves victims, the experts say.
The research report outlines how delays to justice, and legalistic and adversarial procedures have caused and exacerbated psychological and emotional harm.
This has left many subpostmasters feeling retraumatised over the years.
They are distrustful of the institutions of government and mechanisms of justice, as well as the Post Office, and whilst many have drawn positives from the inquiry, some do not yet feel they have the full truth about what happened.
The report, by Dr Sally Day, Professor Richard Moorhead and Professor Rebecca Helm, from the University of Exeter, and Dr Karen Nokes, from UCL, was carried out as part of their Post Office project.
They interviewed 26 former subpostmasters, six partners, two children and one sibling.
Dr Day said: “We would like to express our deepest and heartfelt thanks to all those who agreed to help us in this project.
“What is clear from our interviews is the complex harms experienced by those affected and their loved ones.
“We found adversity and sacrifice but also stories of determination, hope and solidarity.”
Professor Moorhead said: “The thing that stands out from this work is the way an unjust accusation by the Post Office has spread through the lives of those accused and their families.
“With the exception of the ongoing inquiry, formal responses have tended to be cold and adversarial, which has been harmful to victims.”
Dr Nokes said: “Many subpostmasters went from being highly respected and central to their local community to being publicly vilified, and labelled a thief, for something they hadn’t done.
“Some experienced aggressive and distressing harassment and victimisation, including being spat at, and receiving abusive letters, phone calls and emails.
“There were clear ‘ripple effects’ – the reputational damage often extended to their families and people affected couldn’t get away from the stigma.”
This work builds on two previous studies conducted by this project team.
One documented high levels of PTSD and depression among victims and survivors.
A follow-up survey in 2024 examined the ripple effect of harms from the scandal on “secondary victims” such as partners and children, who had similar, extraordinary levels of PTSD and depression.
