Betty Brown Receives OBE, Urges King Charles III to Press for Post Office Scandal Justice
King Charles III reportedly acknowledged the Post Office scandal as a "dreadful thing" that "should never have happened" during a conversation with Betty Brown, the oldest surviving victim, as she received her OBE at Windsor Castle on Tuesday. Mrs. Brown, 93, informed the King that justice, regardless of cost, must be served, specifically requesting he speak to the Prime Minister about police investigations into the individuals behind the hundreds of wrongful prosecutions.
Mrs. Brown, who dedicated her honour to "all the sub postmasters that we have lost," was unjustly forced out of her County Durham Post Office in 2003. This occurred after her late husband, Oswall, had paid over £50,000 from their savings to cover non-existent shortfalls, fabricated by the faulty Horizon IT system. The couple had operated the branch since 1985.
Last week, police chiefs warned that the criminal investigation into the scandal could face a five-year delay without additional funding. Commander Stephen Clayman, leading the national inquiry, stated the investigation team would need to double in size to meet its current target of submitting files for potential prosecutions by late 2027 or early 2028. A government spokesperson described the scandal as an "appalling injustice" and confirmed that requests for further funding were "being considered."
Mrs. Brown expressed that she felt "honoured and humbled" by the OBE, believing she had finally "been heard by the system." She clarified that victims have received "redress," not compensation, meaning they were given back money that was unlawfully taken from them. The government's latest figures indicate that over £1.5 billion has been disbursed to more than 12,300 claimants across various Post Office redress schemes. The Post Office offered an "unreserved" apology for the suffering inflicted upon postmasters and their families following the publication of the official inquiry's first report in July.
