In a monumental turn of events, Wendy Cousins, who had been wrongfully accused in the infamous Post Office Horizon fraud case, has tragically passed away after her harrowing ordeal. Cousins, who worked at the Post Office for a decade, was one of 39 former employees falsely implicated in a widespread scandal involving the Horizon computer system.
The Horizon system, designed to manage the Post Office’s finances, was found to be defective, leading to discrepancies in accounts that erroneously pointed to theft and false accounting. Despite their innocence, these individuals were unjustly held accountable for errors caused by the system’s flaws. In a shocking revelation, it was determined that they were denied a fair trial due to the faulty evidence generated by the defective computer database.
In a significant legal battle, the Post Office faced civil action from 555 former employees, including Cousins, leading to a historic settlement of £57.75 million in compensation and legal fees. The settlement was a recognition of the grave injustice faced by these individuals and an acknowledgment of the need to rectify the wrongs inflicted upon them.
Mr. Justice Fraser, in his verdict, emphasized the unreliability of evidence obtained from the flawed Horizon computer system, paving the way for an overturning of convictions. The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) had referred these cases to the court following a landmark High Court ruling against the Post Office.
Peter Dazeley shared his grief on the death of Wendy :
Very sad #WendyCousins died convicted of a post office fraud she didn’t commit. Why are the directors and the #Horizon software company not in court and being punished for their cruelty. What an unfair world we live in.
The Post Office, after acknowledging the need to overturn the convictions, contested 35 of the 39 cases on grounds that the prosecutions violated “public conscience.” Despite this opposition, the individuals who suffered due to this miscarriage of justice are finally on the path to exoneration, marking a triumph over an unjust system.
As the news of Wendy Cousins’ passing reverberates, it serves as a stark reminder of the toll that injustice takes on innocent lives. The fight for justice continues in her memory, and the exoneration of those wronged in the Horizon fraud case stands as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.
