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Horizon scandal: The post office should pay for the therapy, say incorrectly interrupted subpostmasters

Horizon scandal: The post office should pay for the therapy, say incorrectly interrupted subpostmasters

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Subpostmeister and their families still have the long-term psychological effects of illegal accusations and convictions, with delays in front of the IT scandal judicial victim of “Retaumatization” of the Horizon IT scandal post office.

False accused and incorrectly convicted subpost masters said that the post office should pay for the therapy and advice “for life” due to the trauma caused by the Horizonit scandal.

Victims and their families say that those who need support for mental health do not have to wait for compensation or use their own money to pay for help.

A new study “Understanding the effects of the post office scandal”, which is only given ITV messages, documented the continued psychological and emotional damage for the first time that men and women were interrogated and imprisoned due to errors of the IT system of the Fujitsu post office.

The report is part of the “Post office project”, which has interviewed dozens of subpost masters and their families, and aims to examine the ethical and legal lessons from the horizont scandal to improve the criminal justice system.

Parmod Kalia led a Post office branch in Orpington in Kent for over a decade when it was incorrectly accused of theft in 2001. The four -person father was sentenced to six months in prison and forced to pay the mail £ 22,000, although he gave no evidence that he had stolen it.

He says the conviction destroyed his life and almost cost him his marriage. He told ITV News that he was looking for therapy after trying to take his life.

“It was terrible, it was terrible … 25 years of my life were ruined by the post,” says Parmod.

“My children actually asked me at the time: 'Papa, did you take the money?' At that time they were six and nine years old. “

Mr. Kalia says his health and relationships with his family suffered from his illegal conviction.

He says that his daughters also have to deal with the long -term effects of his illegal conviction.

“I feel empathy for my children because they had to go through a lot. They are going through individually at the moment.

“I went through therapy and advice. There was a point where I have considered three times to commit suicide.”

Does he believe that the post office should cover the therapy costs for subpost masters?

“You have to pay,” he says.

Professor Richard Moorhead, the leading author of the report, said: “What stands out from this work is the way an unjustified accusations of the post in the life of the accused and their families has spread.”

“With the exception of the ongoing examination, formal answers tended to be cold and controversial, which was harmful to the victims.”

The study heard how the victims feel that they “need therapy for a long time” and “relapses … must be taken into account because of the damage”.

Subpostmasters spoke of suicidal feeling and had “guilt transactions” towards those who had committed or died due to diseases before their names were given and justice was served.

“I am only grateful for what I have, but I was told that it is all wrong, even from my lawyer,” said a subpostmaster.

“They just said that I always undergone that mine is not so serious and I tried to explain:” At least I had no criminal records for what was done. “And they said: 'But you still suffered, and you are entitled to that.' “

Interviews with other victims of the project have determined the long waiting time for justice, and the continuing struggle, which is intended to receive the full and final compensation, has “felt resuscitated … suspicious of the government and the mechanisms of the judiciary and the post.”

“It is enormous,” says Sir Alan Bates, long -time activist for subpostmasters, about the psychological effects of the scandal.

“It is not just the subpostmasters that have been [impacted] through this. It goes directly over the families. It is terrible. “

“But the government refuses to accept that … they do not take over the damage that families were inflicted as part of a settlement or in a review of the cases. It is clearly based on the income of the subpostmasters. But many of these companies were family -run,” he said.

Regarding the effects of the scandal on him personally, Sir Alan said: “It is an endless job, really, one day after the next. I don't know if it has an impact on me. I only get on, regardless of it because you can't let it go.

Parmod Kalia is one of the subpost masters who still suffer from the scandal. It is one of more than 4,300 subpost masters who are still waiting for full and final compensation. Two and a half years ago, he diagnosed with cancer and believes that his final reparation could be too late.

“I'll take it one day after the other,” says the former subpostmaster ITV News, while waiting for his final reply.

“I treated myself … I wake up in the morning every day, thank God, I have another day. I don't know about my personal health, how long it will take, but I only take it one day after the other,” he says.

Some Subpostmasters informed the study that they believe that the post office deliberately tries to pull out the remuneration process.

“They are [Post Office] Let people suffer longer. And I think you just want people to die before they can accept compensation? If you listen to families who died and have been handed over to their children to pursue this for a result, it's just not right, right? Moral, ethical, it's just not right. ”

The report also argues that the generation trauma caused by the scandal must be recognized, addressed and reacted appropriately. Partner, children and now even grandchildren of SPMS live in the shadow of the first victims of the Post office scandal. “

In a spokesman for the business and trade department, which the remuneration systems have on the monitoring of the remuneration systems: “We recognize the considerable effects that this terrible scandal had on psychological health of many postmaster, as this report emphasizes. That is why we pay claims faster than ever and have the available returns that provide the available re -regulations.

A post -office spokesman said: “We are sincerely sorry for the past who have led to masters after suffering and are focused as soon as possible in addition to the government so that people can further develop with their lives.”

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