UK: Indian-origin woman wrongly jailed while pregnant rejects apology
Seema Misra, a former United Kingdom subpostmistress wrongfully imprisoned while pregnant, has declined apologies from key figures involved in her conviction. She dismissed their apologies as "too little, too late," stating that they could have apologized "ages ago." The evidence and actions of Gareth Jenkins, an engineer whose testimony was instrumental in her case, and David Smith, the ex-managing director of the Post Office, led to her conviction nearly 12 years ago.
Misra's conviction overturned amid post office scandal
Misra's conviction was overturned in April 2021, over a decade after her wrongful imprisonment by the Court of Appeal. She was accused of stealing GBP 75,000 from her Post Office branch in Surrey, where she worked as a subpostmistress. Between 1999 and 2015, the Post Office prosecuted approximately 700 sub-postmasters for theft and fraud, based on inaccurate data from their IT system. Misra reflected on her experience, stating: "Nobody can understand it."
Misra's case sheds light on faulty Horizon IT system
Misra's case served as a "test case" for the flawed Horizon IT system, which led to numerous wrongful convictions. Jenkins's evidence about this system was used in the prosecutions of many subpostmasters, including Misra. She was sentenced to 15 months in prison while eight weeks pregnant in November 2010. Witnesses have suggested that Jenkins may have committed perjury due to his failure to disclose knowledge of bugs in the Horizon system.
Misra remains unmoved by apologies from convictors
Since the court ruling, Jenkins has written apologies to Misra, expressing deep regret for his role in the wrongful convictions. But she remains firm in her stance, stating: "I haven't accepted the apologies. We had my conviction overturned, nobody came at that time to apologise." This sentiment also extends to Smith's apology for an inappropriate congratulatory email he sent following her conviction.
Smith acknowledges inappropriate conduct post conviction
Smith has admitted to the inappropriate nature of a congratulatory email he sent following Misra's conviction. He now recognizes that his email could have caused distress to Misra and her family. In his written evidence to the inquiry, Smith stated: "Even if this had been a correct conviction, I would absolutely never think that it was 'brilliant news' for a pregnant woman to go to prison and I am hugely apologetic that my email can be read as such."
