Prison. Bankruptcy. Suicide. How a software glitch ruined lives
Prison. Bankruptcy. Suicide. How a software glitch and a centuries-old British company ruined lives | CNN Business
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This is the best summary I could come up with:
After a piece of software incorrectly showed that money had gone missing, a trusted, centuries-old British government corporation used its financial and legal might to convict and bankrupt hundreds of people who ran its branches.
In the end, Hamilton re-financed her home to pay the non-existent shortfall that — by the time the Post Office had taken her to court in 2007, charging her with theft and false accounting — had ballooned to £36,000 ($45,800).
The scandal has been the subject of legal cases and UK media reports for years, but only since last week’s broadcast of a TV drama spotlighting its brutal human toll have public awareness and outrage skyrocketed.
But the United Kingdom’s political and legal establishment has still to answer some vital questions, including who knew what and when; which individuals — if any — should be held criminally culpable; and the extent to which Fujitsu, a company worth $30 billion that is still a major supplier to the UK government, should be on the hook to pay compensation to victims.
In a witness impact statement, the wife of Martin Griffith said he deliberately walked in front of a bus after sinking into deep depression following the Post Office’s decision to terminate his contract.
James Hartley, a lawyer at Freeths, the law firm that represented sub-postmasters in their civil case four years ago, believes the Post Office deserves most of the blame.
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