Paula Vennells Breaks Down During Intense Grilling In Post Office Inquiry
Page Description
Paula Vennels was responsible for systemic failure to acknowledge or act on warnings.
This harmed numerous innocent individuals and trust in Post Office
Paula Vennels – Background
Worked 12 years in total for Post Office
Begin January 2007
Made CEO October 2010
Left CEO April 2019 more than 8 year CEO
Here are some key points about Paula Vennells:
Role in the Post Office Scandal: Paula Vennells was the CEO of the Post Office from 2012 to 2019. Under her leadership, the Post Office was involved in a significant scandal involving wrongful convictions of subpostmasters due to flawed IT systems.
Involvement in Cover-Up: During her tenure, Vennells was criticized for her handling of the scandal, with accusations that she and the Post Office obstructed justice and failed to address the concerns of the subpostmasters.
Anglican Priest: Vennells was also a Reverend in the Anglican Church. Her dual roles as a corporate leader and a religious figure added complexity to the public’s perception of her actions during the scandal.
Public Perception and Criticism: Her role as a priest contrasted sharply with the criticism she faced for her actions at the Post Office, including accusations of lacking compassion and empathy. This juxtaposition was highlighted during legal proceedings and public discussions about the scandal.
Inquiry and Testimony: During the inquiry into the Post Office scandal, Vennells was scrutinized for her testimony and actions, with legal experts and critics questioning her sincerity and responsibility.
Impact on Reputation: The scandal significantly affected her public image, casting a shadow over her career both as a corporate executive and a religious leader.
As of the most recent updates, Paula Vennells no longer holds an active role or function within the Anglican Church. Her position as a Reverend and her involvement in church activities have been overshadowed by her controversial tenure as CEO of the Post Office and the subsequent scandal. Following the public and legal scrutiny related to the Post Office scandal, she stepped down from her church roles and has largely been out of the public eye in this capacity.
- Paula Anne Vennells (born 21 February 1959) is a British former businesswoman who was the chief executive officer (CEO) of Post Office Limited from 2012 to 2019. She is also an ordained Anglican priest who voluntarily ceased her clerical duties in 2021.
Note there are other web pages about the inquiry of the Post Office Boss Paula Vennells:
A Broken Society: The Impact on Morality, Justice, and Ethics
CEO Paula Vennells in Tears at Post Office Inquiry Grilling
Proforma Justice: Horizon IT Disaster – Looking Under the Rock TRANSCRIP
Post Office Story: Profound Corruption Based on a Single Lie
UK Post Office Scandal: Vennells vs Beer – victim blaming is okay!
30 mei 2024
00:00 – Start
02:07 – Blaming the Victim: Community and Critical Psychology
03:06 – Blaming the victim and the post office scandal
05:13 – Blaming Paula Vennells
This video is about why the Jason Beer KC was right to blame Paula Vennells (former Post Office Ltd CEO) for the post office scandal and why the principle in community psychology that we should avoid blaming the victim should be questioned because even if Vennells is a victim of the scandal , we should still blame her.
This video is about why the Jason Beer KC was right to blame Paula Vennells (former Post Office Ltd CEO) for the post office scandal and
why the principle in community psychology that we should avoid blaming the victim should be questioned because even if Vennells is a victim of the scandal,
we should still blame her.
Video of 19 minutes
Dr Paul Duckett: Critical Psychology
Please listen to another video of Dr Paul Duckett below
UK Post Office Scandal – Vennells vs van den Bogerd: professionalism?
Key Moments from Paula Vennells’ Testimony on Thursday, May 23, 2024
Tearful Testimony:
- Paula Vennells, former CEO of the Post Office, broke down in tears when discussing a family situation that affected her involvement in group litigation.
Admissions and Apologies:
- Vennells admitted there might have been a “hope” to minimize compensation claims to subpostmasters using the mediation scheme. She acknowledged this after being pressed by counsel Jason Beer KC.
- She conceded that the term “bugs” should have been used to describe IT issues, rather than seeking a non-emotive term.
Minimizing Negative Press:
- Vennells confirmed that the Post Office demanded apologies for negative press and sought to challenge inaccurate coverage, even at a local level.
Compensation and Mediation:
- Vennells agreed that an email she sent suggested subpostmasters would only be welcome in the mediation scheme if they accepted minimal compensation. However, she contested the interpretation that substantial compensation was never intended.
IT System and Legal Advice:
- She expressed that finding bugs in the Horizon system was significant information but insisted she was reassured the bugs had been fixed.
- Vennells admitted following advice not to review all old cases of subpostmaster prosecutions to avoid media scrutiny.
Inquiries and Investigations:
- Vennells was questioned about her knowledge of the systemic issues within the Horizon system and the reliability of expert witnesses. She claimed to be unaware of any wrongful prosecution estimates provided by legal counsel and denied being informed that a key engineer was an unsafe witness.
Reflection on Leadership:
- Throughout the testimony, Vennells highlighted her regret over decisions made, emphasizing that her intentions were to act based on the information and advice available at the time.
Additional Context:
- The session was part of a broader inquiry into the Post Office Horizon IT scandal, examining governance, redress, and the handling of prosecutions based on faulty IT evidence.
- Concurrently, a subpostmistress had her wrongful conviction quashed, underscoring the impact of the scandal on individuals.
This summary encapsulates the main points of Vennells’ testimony, reflecting on her actions, decisions, and the broader implications of the Horizon IT scandal.
Vennells vs Beer (short)
2 jun 2024
This is a short version of my video that discusses the issue of victim blaming and the UK Post Office scandal. Here is the full version:
• UK Post Office Scandal: Vennells vs B…
UK Post Office Scandal – Vennells vs van den Bogerd: professionalism?
10 jun 2024
I contrast the performances of Paula Vennells and Angelda van den Bogerd at the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry and reflect on what their behaviour tells us about professionalism. I consider how their particular version of professionalism impacted the UK post office scandal.
00:00 – Start
01:46 – Blaming the Victim: Community and Critical Psychology
02:13 – Paula Vennells: The performance
03:45 – Giving nothing away
05:42 – The meanings of professionalism
08:56 – Is it wrong to be objective?
11:26 – Final word from Sir Wyn Williams
1 Post Office Inquiry: Paula Vennells breaks down in tears
23 mei 2024
Paula Vennells breaks down in tears at the Post Office Inquiry as she is repeatedly questioned over her decision making during her tenure.
2 Don’t Be Fooled – Post Office Scandal
24 mei 2024
Does the establishment really dislike Paula Vennells after the Post Office scandal?
Educational
3 Paula Vennells at the Post Office inquiry: Lawyers ‘more aggressive’ with questioning
24 mei 2024
“They were going to really go for the jugular today.”
The sub-postmasters’ lawyers were expressing the emotions of the victims as they questioned Paula Vennells on the third day of her testimony, says Bryan Glick.
4 She’s not in La la Land- Paula Vennells is sitting pretty
5 ‘That is Theft!’ Ian Hislop Digs Deep In The Post Office Scandal | Hat Trick Comedy
24 mei 2024
The upcoming election might be dominating the headlines, but Paula Vennells and the Post Office scandal are not safe from the panel.
6 She’s not in La la Land- Paula Vennells is sitting pretty
6 HIGNFY – Post Office IT Scandal
The upcoming election might be dominating the headlines, but Paula Vennells and the Post Office scandal are not safe from the panel.
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17 apr 2024
Ian Hislop has been fighting for justice for years.
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Educational
8 Ex-Post Office company secretary questioned over Horizon scandal
21 mei 2024
For years, she’s remained silent over what she knew about the wrongful prosecution of subpostmasters.
But tomorrow, the former head of the Post Office, Paula Vennells, will break that silence when she appears at the Horizon IT inquiry.
Today, it was the turn of the company secretary, Alwen Lyons, who was at every board meeting – and party to many secrets after 34 years in an organisation that caused untold suffering for hundreds of subpostmasters.
9 Ex-Post Office company secretary questioned over Horizon scandal
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The inquiry into the Post Office Horizon IT scandal will continue today with Lord Arbuthnot of Edrom, a Conservative Peer, set to give evidence.
The former MP for North East Hampshire was one of the early champions of constituents who had been caught up in the scandal and led a parliamentary campaign to investigate the Post Office.
Between 1999 and 2015 more than 900 sub-postmasters were prosecuted for stealing because of faulty information given by the Horizon computer system.
Educational: IMPORTANT
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