Friday, December 07, 2012

Hospital Receptionist Who Put Kate Middleton Prank Call Through Kills Self

The receptionist who believed the Australian DJ she was speaking to was the Queen and put the call through to the nurse in charge of Kate Middleton committed suicide this morning. Scotland Yard is investigating the death which happened almost next door to the hospital where she worked. By putting the call through, the nurse also thought she was speaking to The Queen and gave out a lot of personal information about Kate. I wonder if the DJ's will have anything to say about the death.

Posted by ent lawyer at 7:30 AM

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137 comments:

  1. LottaColada7:32 AM

    OMG that's terrible. To have the whole world ridicule you must feel awful. May she RIP.

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  2. Laura7:33 AM

    This makes me so sad...........

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  3. Karen7:33 AM

    This makes me so sad. I wonder if she was going to be fired.

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    Replies
    1. Unknown7:46 AM

      I heard yesterday that they let her go.

      Delete
  4. OneGirlRevolution7:34 AM

    Sad. While I don't blame the DJs for her death (something else had to have been wrong for this to push her over the edge), did they not at least think someone was going to get in huge trouble, and likely fired, if their prank worked? SMH

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  5. Amber7:34 AM

    Holy crap. I would literally have no idea how to console this woman. Somehow, I'd missed this story to begin with. Sad. :(

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  6. Kelly7:34 AM

    Oh, that is awful. Poor thing.

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  7. timebob 7:34 AM

    omg it was just a mistake, I make 20 dumb mistakes at work everyday.

    I can't imagine the humiliation she felt at the hands of the british press and the Hospital must of ripped her a new one also. There should of been better security protocols set in place so that never happend in the first place.

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  8. Christopher Cruz7:34 AM

    Hang those talentless hacks who think of themselves as radio personalities.

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:48 PM

      stop it. the DJs didn't think anyone would believe them. she probably had other problems in her life to push her over that edge. an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind

      Delete
    2. Anonymous2:26 PM

      WORD nessa

      Delete
  9. Sugar 7:36 AM

    This is so tragic and sad.

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  10. rhinovodka7:37 AM

    oh that's so sad.

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  11. Pogue Mahone7:37 AM

    Wow, that's extreme! So sad! About time for the conspiracy theories to start coming about that MI6 had her murdered...

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  12. Anna V. Xol7:38 AM

    She killed herself? Over this? While i love how people romanticize this couple...they are not my royalty. Thank god we do not have a king and queen.

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  13. discoflux7:40 AM

    Oh my god! That poor woman!

    The DJs aren't responsible but they're still assholes for the shit they pulled. Basic human decency should tell them it's not okay to do what they did.

    My heart goes out to the family and friends of this woman.

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  14. Patty7:41 AM

    People are stupid and I hate them. That was a stupid prank those DJs pulled. It was a terrible thing to do to the secretary and what an utter invasion of privacy for Kate. What if the pregnancy had taken a turn for the worse while that call was going on and she gave out that info thinking she was talking to the queen. This really disturbs me. Or, does Kate have no expectation of privacy while she is in the hospital either?

    I don't know wha the privacy laws are like in GB, but here that secretary would have been fired for giving out patient info like that.

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  15. Cathy7:41 AM

    This isn't something that anyone should kill themselves over (obviously), but I thought the nurse was the one with more egg on her face.

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  16. LottaColada7:42 AM

    I just read on DM that those DJs are still bragging about the whole prank all over twitter. I am so glad that nobody from our side of the pond did this to the hospital.

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  17. hunter7:42 AM

    Wow I bet those DJs feel HORRIBLE - there's no way they could have predicted this. Yikes!

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  18. nevermindthat7:42 AM

    OMG! There has to be more to this.

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    Replies
    1. Patty Mayonnaise9:23 AM

      I agree. I don't believe she "killed herself" the Royals do not play.. Hmmm

      Delete
    2. Christopher Cruz10:27 AM

      Are you saying those DJ's are next? That would be AWESOME!!! I just saw a photo of them- such douchey looking things. Especially the guy.

      Delete
  19. MISCH7:43 AM

    Awful, hard for me to understand the why...

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  20. Feisty7:44 AM

    That is terrible and I hold the press responsible.

    She made a mistake, the Australian DJ's took advantage of someone who was trusting and naive, and the press has been relentless.

    So sad.

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  21. Unknown7:44 AM

    Oh my gosh... That's heartbreaking!! That poor woman!
    To be honest, if I thought I was talking to the queen, I would give answers too! So so so so sad!

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  22. Anonymous7:45 AM

    Tragic and senseless.

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  23. MacAttack7:46 AM

    the woman's name hadn't even been printed in the paper so its not like everyone knew it was her, only the staff! don't blame the DJs either, it was a harmless prank! blown way out of proportion.

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  24. Lurky Loo7:47 AM

    Sorry but those DJs were total a-holes. Like it doesn't take rubbing two brain cells together to figure out that if they fooled the receptionist she would get into big trouble over it?????

    Sure the receptionist likely had issues of her own, but if those DJs have any conscience at all I hope they feel like hell.

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  25. katsm07117:47 AM

    I HATE when it's publicized that a person commited suicide over one specific event. A sane person doesn't make such a devastating last minute decision and it's preventing talk about mental illness. She killed herself over this one incident? Did Job kill himself after suffering his first tragedy? He kept goiing. It's mental illness!!

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  26. SusanB7:50 AM

    I'm with Patty - People are stupid and I hate them. You don't humiliate ANYONE with a prank, especially someone you don't know. Didn't it occur to these DJs that they could get people fired over this? The nurse and receptionist would have at least been disciplined if it had happened in the US - not sure what laws there are in GB. You just don't know what is going to push someone over the edge, even if you think it's "funny".

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  27. Mari7:50 AM

    Well it wasn't harmless, was it.

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  28. timebob 7:51 AM

    this same duo of DJ's also got a 14year old girl admit she had been raped live on the air. They need to be fired and blackballed from radio.

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2243315/Kate-Middleton-pregnant-Security-scare-Australian-radio-DJs-dupe-nurse-giving-medical-details.html

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    Replies
    1. Jessie12:22 PM

      No, that was Kyle and Jackie O. Although the DJ's are from the same station.

      Delete
  29. Karen7:54 AM

    @LottaColada, I'm glad that the DJs weren't American, too. That was one of the first things I wondered when I heard about the prank.

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  30. kriss_t7:59 AM

    How sad. There was something far more wrong with this woman than the crank call. The fact she thought she was talking to the Queen was one thing...revealling lots of personal information about Kate regardless of it being the Queen or not is another. Since when are Grandparents-in-law privy to such information. She would have had some serious issues already, and the humiliation she felt from the prank would have pushed her over the edge. I feel sorry for Kate even being an arms lenght from this.

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  31. Sydney212218:05 AM

    Kat's response above is how I expect the Australian DJs to respond in order to absolve themselves of any responsibility for this sad situation.

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  32. Finlay8:11 AM

    There could be a million reasons this poor lady killed herself but you can bet this sure didn't help even if it wasn't the outlying cause. You might also notice from the blurb up there she didn't give out any personal information about Kate to anyone, she only put the call through to Kate's nurse and she was the one who gave the information away.

    I think the prank was harmless in the sense it was some idiot pretending to be someone else at the expense of other people and obviously it had an entirely different outcome, but yeah, not funny at all given the circumstances now.

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  33. Lurky Loo8:12 AM

    Kat, I get that the woman had mental health issues. That is readily apparent. But say someone else was on the phones that day? Someone stable wouldn't commit suicide but they would likely lose their job. Or feel like a complete idiot.

    Sorry but the DJs were completely a-holey on this one.

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    Replies
    1. katsm07114:34 PM

      @lurky I don't understand what you are trying to say.

      Delete
  34. Penelope8:14 AM

    Very sad but also rather an extreme overreaction to a stupid prank that no one would remember or talk about within a few weeks.

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  35. Chilie8:18 AM

    First off, they don't know if she committed suicide. She was found collapsed on a street, not in a private residence. She could have died from a number of causes, including a stress-induced stroke etc. Calling it suicide this early in the game is very irresponsible.

    Also, TMZ is claiming it was the receptionist. News organizations are stating it was the nurse who took the call.

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  36. Agent**It8:21 AM

    The woman's name is Jacintha Saldanha and was amarried mother of two.Jacintha had connected the call to another nurse who gave details of Kate's condition.

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  37. dia papaya8:21 AM

    That poor girl and her family! This makes me really really angry. When you have had a suicide in the family (or attempt) the waves ripple out to so many people. This is such a wasteful tragedy.

    I do blame the DJs. It was just a prank is no excuse to fuck with people. They thought it would be funny and make them some money. Haha? Nope! It was a shit thing to do and now someone is dead. She probably lost her job. The nurse is probably going to lose her job over a dumb mistake. This is just senseless. And maybe the girl did have a problem but - more likely - she was young and naive and trusting! Some people still are trusting. yes they are out there! The nurse and this girl got screwed for it! I'm so sad about this bc I've had suicide in my family and I know how long and far those waves spread.

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  38. MadLyb8:22 AM

    If someone is considering jumping off a bridge, but you come behind them and push them to their death, guess who's going to be blamed? What a tragedy.

    I despise extreme radio personalities. How many deaths have they been responsible for? (I'm including the radio DJ's in Rwanda). How many people have been lured and succumbed to the lowest common denominator in human behavior because of irresponsible words and pranks?

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  39. Chilie8:23 AM

    This is from The Guardian - updated a couple of minutes ago.
    ---------------
    "...The woman, confirmed by the hospital to be Jacintha Saldanha, a nurse who was working on the reception of King Edward VII hospital when the prank call was made, was found unconscious at an address near the London hospital just before 9.30am on Friday.

    The hospital said in a statement: "It is with very deep sadness that we confirm the tragic death of a member of our nursing staff, Jacintha Saldanha.

    "Jacintha had worked at the King Edward VII hospital for more than four years. She was an excellent nurse and well-respected and popular with all of her colleagues.

    "We can confirm that Jacintha was recently the victim of a hoax call to the hospital. The hospital had been supporting her throughout this difficult time."

    Radio DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian, from Sydney's 2Day FM station, rang the hospital in the early hours of Tuesday after the duchess's admission. Greig pretended to be the Queen, while Christian was in the background as "Prince Charles".

    Greig asked to speak to "my granddaughter Kate". Saldanha thought she was speaking to the Queen and told Greig: "Oh yes, just hold on ma'am". She then put the call through to a duty nurse, who divulged intimate medical details about the duchess.

    The radio station is reportedly already serving two five-year licence probations after serious breaches of the regulator's code."

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  40. car548:24 AM

    There is something so wrong in the fact that a simple mistake like this would get blown so out of proportion.

    Obviously the woman had something else major wrong to take it this hard--or something else wrong in her life to lead her to this.

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  41. prolixe8:26 AM

    There was definitely something else going on to push her over the edge to suicide - very sad. :(

    I worked at a radio station when I was 19. The station I worked for put their longtime morning guy into an evening slot and hired a "young & fresh" duo of creeps who made prank calls and terrible jokes about young female singers, and were in general disgusting little creeps who made sexist jokes on air (and in the breakroom).

    And ratings went up.

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  42. xoApril8:29 AM

    I'm sorry, but I work in a field where confidentiality is paramount. No amount of impersonation or goading gets you to release confidential information. They teach that to you day one. If anything, more hospitals should have "secret shoppers" to ensure they have their employees are adhereing to the law when it comes to this. Pretending to be the Queen Mum is a good start.

    And yes, there is still a lot of info. outstanding - it was an "apparent" suicide, not a definitive suicide. Let's wait for more information, shall we?

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  43. VIPblonde8:30 AM

    This is so sad. RIP. And for the people stating she had to have a prior history of mental illness, I disagree. As someone with a degree in Sociology who spent a fair amount of time studying Durkheim's work on suicide, he found that the main reason people commit suicide is "anomie;" basically despair. These DJs caused this poor nurse to feel such dispair that she took her own life. I'm a big defender of free speech, but if Imus was forced off the air because he said something about "nappy-headed hos," these people surely deserve to be taken off the air as well

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  44. Glitter8:33 AM

    Makes the prank not funny

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  45. AKM8:41 AM

    "A sane person doesn't make such a devastating last minute decision and it's preventing talk about mental illness. She killed herself over this one incident?"

    Believe it or not, MANY suicides happen with NO mental illness present (other than the suicidal ideology, of course). It seems counterintuitive, but it's true. Lots of folks who have survived their attempts have corroborated this as well..."I wasn't depressed; I was just having a bad day and I snapped," etc.

    So we have no way of knowing all of the whys at this time.

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    Replies
    1. katsm07114:41 PM

      @AKM ok but for her to not last 24 hours after the incident? She didn't even give herself a chance to see if she could recover. But now I'm wondering after what other people posted if it wasn't a suicide and everyone is jumping to conclusions. A stress related accidental death makes more sense to me now than a spur of the moment suicide. Unless she had a history.

      Delete
    2. BlindItemMe4:34 AM

      Hi @katsm! I'd like to think it was a stress related accident. I hate hearing the suicide talk :( it's tragic because we just don't know all the details. The hospital is saying she was being supported and for me that's what begs the question why.

      Was it shame, or mental illness or fear? Anxiety is a form of mental illness and no doubt this situation would have caused massive anxiety. Im a sensitive soul myself and I have no idea how I would handle that, public humiliation on a global scale, the future queens personal info at stake (I'm an Aussie monarchist and I love the queen :))

      Anyway I'm rambling now, Either way my condolences to her family

      Delete
  46. Anna8:47 AM

    VIPblonde, thank you for pointing out what I also wanted to say. It isn't always mental illness but the "last straw" of a series of problems. A person who has experienced death of a loved one, marital problems, a miscarriage or financial troubles could be pushed over the edge by losing her job, especially if legal action or lawsuit were possibilities, and she may have felt she humiliated her family.

    Unless the DJs were 16, they knew they were hoping to humilate someone who would face serious career and financial consequences because of it.

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  47. Anna V. Xol8:47 AM

    I think we all have our breaking points. Granted some of us can withstand more but when suicides happen after a crisis i think of it more as the straw that broke the camel's back.

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  48. Cathy8:51 AM

    I don't think there's any way that the DJ's could have anticipated that anyone would kill themselves over this, but even in the best case scenario (the receptionist had simply hung up on them), this still wouldn't have resulted in anything positive for the person on the other end (it would have taken time of hers that could have been spent dealing with actual family members of patients).

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  49. NomNom838:52 AM

    A senseless loss. No one could have reasonably predicted that a prank call would lead to suicide. My condolences to her family.

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  50. Agent**It8:54 AM

    @MContheradio and @MelGreigHot30 have both deleted their twitter accounts as a result of the backlash they are getting. Asshats.

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  51. Unknown8:56 AM

    While you cannot deny that the DJ prank was sophomoric, the degree to which the British press whipped this matter into a frenzy beggars belief. If there is any blame to be laid, lay it at their feet for making this mountain out of a molehill.

    In any case, our energy would be better spent sending condolences to this poor woman's family in their time of bereavement rather than whipping out a finger of blame when we don't know most of the facts.

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  52. Munch8:58 AM

    Can we stop calling it a prank and say what it is? A fraudulent attempt to gain information about a hospital patient. It's tasteless and illegal, doesn't matter who the patient is. The receptionist is just a nobody to these people, they obviously have absolutely no empathy whatsoever if they can humiliate people on a daily basis to make some cash. That's what it boils down to - their careers depend on humiliating strangers.

    They may have not meant or anticipated this outcome, but they are responsible. Even if the lady did possibly have other problems doesn't mean the public humiliation and ridicule heaped on her by the actions selfish egomaniacs is somehow whitewashed. I am so angry at this - she's just a hospital employee who happened to be the one who answered the phone and they knew she would be the one to get in trouble for their actions.

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  53. cheesegrater159:00 AM

    The radio station's page has blown up. Sorry, I'm too stupid to learn how to make it clicky.

    https://m.facebook.com/132495853450335/timeline/story?ut=69&hash=4450979513056712394&wstart=1354348800&wend=1357027199&ustart&__user=776020320&soft=jewel%3D2#!/132495853450335/timeline/story?ut=69&hash=4450979513056712394&wstart=1354348800&wend=1357027199&ustart&__user=563395150

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  54. jax9:01 AM

    the DJ's have both deleted their twitter accounts, like fucking cowards but the comments still being posted are SPOT ON.

    This women was utterly humiliated by these two dumbasses, in front of her co-workers, her bosses, her patients and the general public. That would be a lot to bear in a short time.

    I don't find this any different than a young girl humiliated by pictures online, it feels inescapable and hopeless.

    It is quite possible that she was in fine mental health before this all happened TO her.

    Also, how do you think Kate and William feel? A mother and wife is dead after an awful joke that involved them. I can't imagine.

    Just sad and fucking senseless.

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  55. yo9:04 AM

    TMZ just reported this:

    8:30 AM PT -- Law enforcement sources tell us ... cops are not planning on conducting a criminal investigation into the death at this point ... and believe there was no foul play."

    I don't necessarily believe that there was no foul play, bc we know that the royals will do whatever they want and get away with it.

    Anyone else find this case suspicious?

    Read more: http://www.tmz.com#ixzz2EO1h874q

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  56. Munch9:08 AM

    I looked at the radio station's site earlier (http://www.2dayfm.com.au/) and their lead story was how fucking hilarious they were at hoaxing a hospital. Lead story is now changed to a Christmas toy drive. They don't even have the guts to post a statement, just a self-congratulatory charity item.

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  57. yodelay9:13 AM

    This is just a tragedy! It just goes to show that pranks are not harmless! You never know how someone will react to being humiliated. I can't even imagine what this poor lady was going through at being internationally humiliated and losing her job. And to those DJs, karma will even the score!

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  58. LottaColada9:20 AM

    Yank them off the air! Their "harmless pranks" are destroying lives! I read that story above about the young girl admitting to rape on air, THAT is when they should've been fired.

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  59. Aoife9:32 AM

    How do you not blame those assholes in Australia? Firing is too good for them. Fire them and then blacklist them for the rest of their lives. It's just like a hazing gone wrong and the participants say "we never thought that would happen".

    May the poor woman RIP.

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  60. Munch9:32 AM

    Some people here need to get a grip. The royals are not all-powerful beings who can order a murder on a receptionist for answering the phone for fucks sake. Get over the conspiracy nonsense, I'm sure the onslaught of whackjob theories is not helping her family at the moment. Just take a moment to think about it before making vicious accusations that do nothing but harm. Really. Does anyone who isn't in need of medication seriously believe that the royal family ordered a receptionist killed? Why not the journalists who tapped their phones? What about the paps who took nude pictures? Did the footman who served tea a bit too cold last week get whacked? It's just too ridiculous for words.

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  61. Cornbread9:39 AM

    I thought the prank was tasteless when it first happened, and I'm glad I wasn't alone in that opinion. While no one could have predicted the outcome of the prank, it was such a stupid idea to being with, that had to know that success would surely make some folks' lives an absolute living hell.

    Poor, poor woman. My heart goes out to her family. I cannot fathom the grief they must be dealing with over this.

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  62. KPeony9:44 AM

    Get ready to crucify me:

    You don't give out personal medical information. Period.

    If you're working in a stressful environment like a hospital, you shouldn't make stupid mistakes like this.

    It's not the DJs fault. How did they know she was on edge? It's not like they bribed her to give them info or threatened her in any way. She voluntarily gave that information up.

    It sucks that she died, but life sucks sometimes. You get fired, move on with life. It's hard, yes, but get over it and hold yourself accountable for your own actions.

    If my boss tells me I did a shit job on something, I move on and get the fuck over it. I'll do a better job next time.

    She should have been getting help if she was that unstable.

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    Replies
    1. Gaetzski1:05 PM

      Not crucifying you, just curious. How do you determine who you can provide info to? Do you see identification to determine who is next of kin? Do you need to see the marriage certificate etc. Do people not lie, even in person? My mother died of a brain aneurysm recently and I was provided with substantial information in emergency as the staff were concerned that she would died before my father could arrive. Were they wrong? They never asked for my ID and she could not identify me. What do you do in this situation?

      Delete
  63. SingBlue9:48 AM

    We really have some psychoanalysts inhabiting this board. A few facts:

    - the Aussie DJ who interrogated the 14yo girl referred to above was from the same station, but not the same DJ

    - She was a foreign nurse who would not normally have been manning the phones, but as it was 05:30 the hospital wasn't fully operational with support staff

    - She was not under any disciplinary action, and along with the nurse who passed over patient info, was being supported by the hospital

    - Prince Charles made a joke reference to it when asked how his daughter in law was doing yesterday, replying to the reporter "How do you know I'm not a radio station?"

    Now some opinion from my side:

    - ALL "western" countries employ these kind of shock jocks

    - Prank calling/practical jokes often have unintended consequences. Due to the global media coverage this got, it's possible that she felt so traumatised that this was the course of action she took.

    I've travelled to, even lived in countries where amongst the society in general, suicide is seen as an honourable way out, and humiliation on any scale (let alone global) is just not dealt with well.

    As tasteless as it was, I don't think you can blame the media in any country for this. There'll be a period of navel gazing, and then before you know it, they'll be back to doing it. It's what their audience demands...

    ReplyDelete
  64. Salsa Lover9:53 AM

    I feel for the woman but they didn't force her to give the information. She should have said no. Asked for confirmation. Something. It's tragic but suicide?

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  65. Alexstrasza9:56 AM

    I think it's hard to place blame in a case like this. At the same time, while these type of radio DJs always do pranks like this, I think a lot of people in other countries don't realise how much the citizens GB revere their queen (and royalty in general).

    This poor nurse probably felt utterly humiliated and maybe thought she could never live this down.

    It's a very sad situation :(

    ReplyDelete
  66. Aoife10:02 AM

    Thank you Alexstrasza. Anyone with even a slight familiarity with British culture understands the reverence they have for their Queen and her family. All the armchair psychoanalysts need to fix that in their heads before saying the woman was "unstable" or "had Issues" before this. Doing something that would harm the British royal family would feel tremendous guilt.

    And yes they should've been fired for the "Prank" they pulled on that 14 year old girl.

    ReplyDelete
  67. MelTheLibrarian10:02 AM

    Can we stop with the mental illness diagnosis! Seriously people, how many of you guys hold Ph.D's or Psy.D's or are Psychiatrists? It's crazy that you feel you can diagnose people with mental disorders, whether they be celebrities or a normal person. There is no way you can say any individual suffers from mental illness based on a small article written about them. Unbelievable!

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  68. Aoife10:03 AM

    Is there a British equivalent of HIPAA?

    ReplyDelete
  69. SusanB10:08 AM

    God knows I love a conspiracy theory as much as the next person, but I really don't think the royals would have had her killed over this. IF (and that's a huge IF) they were going to have anyone killed, it would have been those idiot DJs. While no doubt the poor woman had some problems earlier than this, this event could have pushed her over the edge - really want to have that on your conscience? That you made things worse for someone already having issues? Hope you're happy, you asshole DJs.

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  70. MelTheLibrarian10:15 AM

    Can we stop with the mental illness diagnosis! Seriously people, how many of you guys hold Ph.D's or Psy.D's or are Psychiatrists? It's crazy that you feel you can diagnose people with mental disorders, whether they be celebrities or a normal person. There is no way you can say any individual suffers from mental illness based on a small article written about them. Unbelievable!

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  71. gr8p10:17 AM

    This is awful. No one knows how they'll deal with public humiliation. I hope we never have to find out. This was reported world wide and goodness knows how the prank made her self worth plummet. May she rest in peace. This is awful.

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  72. Unknown10:18 AM

    Not interested in laying blame, I wish peace for the people who loved her and are missing her today.

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  73. CrazyCatLady10:38 AM

    Gawker is reporting the DJ's have likely been fired.

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  74. Chilie10:41 AM

    @ KPeonie
    Read the story, please. She did not give out information. She received the call and believed it was the Queen and patched the call through to Kate's room where the attending nurse blabbed.

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  75. Frosty10:42 AM

    Whatever the reason for her suicide, it's terribly sad that nurse felt she had no better choice than to end her life.

    It's easy to think she should have just laughed it off, but I wouldn't like to be made a fool in front of all my colleagues and a media audience of millions.

    I think the DJ's should be fired, which was probably what the nurse was facing BECAUSE OF THEM.

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  76. Maya Sambora11:03 AM

    I work in the health care field, and after a hit and run accident in our parking lot I was asked by a police officer to give him personal information out of a patients chart. I had to tell him no. Even though my first instinct was to obey the police officer, as a health care provider you are trained never to release patient information without consent.
    I realize that is different than thinking you are speaking to the Queen of England, but honestly, how could they believe it was really the Queen? ...Maybe this poor woman rethought it all and was mortified, and full of regret, and did an impulsive act that ended her life.

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  77. SusanB11:12 AM

    I was looking at the radio station's Facebook page - I found an interesting comment - "Save your prank calls for the bars and brothels - hospitals should be off limits". True - I'm sure the hospitals in GB are just as understaffed as here - why take a health care worker away for a prank when they might have something much more urgent to do? Would you want YOUR nurse called away from your bedside for a prank?

    ReplyDelete
  78. Sydney2122111:17 AM

    The nurse was covering reception as they were short of support staff at that particular time, so she wasn't dragged from anyone's bed so to speak. But I agree with your point in principle.

    DM has posted an update; those 2 DJs have been removed from air until further notice, it looks like the volume of outraged comments posted on the station's Facebook page, finally made the Station authorities sit up and take notice. Probably because they're worried about being sued.

    Dia -
    I'm so sorry about your loss - can't even begin to imagine what heartache that must have caused.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. dia papaya4:26 PM

      Thank you Rox! I know my personal experiences with suicide make me overly sensitive but I feel the need to talk about it bc of the stigma.

      My brother attempted suicide twice and we were able to get him to the hospital in time followed by a wk of impatient care. He is two years out and functioning well in the world.

      My BIL's brother was not so lucky. They found him the first time around but he was only hospitalized overnight (no insurance in Florida). The second attempt was successful (he used a shot gun) and he left behind a little girl, several siblings and parents who will never know why. A part of us will always wonder if only... If only...

      We need to talk about it bc people are hurting out there and it's not just mental illness. The poor economy has most people at their breaking point. Any one thing can cause an otherwise normal person to snap and go off the rails. Please let's all try to be more compassionate and loving especially during the holidays. Your kind words and smiles may make all the difference to someone!

      God Bless!

      Delete
    2. BlindItemMe4:48 AM

      @dia my heart goes out to you *hugs*

      I lost an uncle to suicide, he had a fight with his wife, she said awful things and then she found him an hour later dead.

      We found out later it was depression, anxiety and stress from debts and that fight was the final straw.

      We can't be afraid to talk to someone if we are going through something!

      *hugs*

      Delete
  79. feraltart11:23 AM

    When this first came out I turned to my husband & we both felt for the staff. Obviously the DJ's didn't care that they could ruin a persons reputation & quite possibly make it impossible for them to get another job in their chosen field if they were fired. My heart goes out to everyone affected.

    ReplyDelete
  80. cinephreak11:26 AM

    this wasnt a "prank" call, a prank call is an 8 year old, calling random numbers and telling people to go chase their running refrigerators. Besides, what self respecting adult STILL prank calls?

    The DJs definitely deserve to be reprimanded, I wonder if theres any criminal charges that could be brought to them for trying to obtain confidential information... probably not, but they should definitely be blackballed from their career field!

    ReplyDelete
  81. car5411:41 AM

    But again, this lady who is dead was not the one who gave out info--she just transferred the call to someone else who did. She is not normally the person covering phones so doing that is kind of understandable given it's not her normal job.

    I am so sorry for her, if this was suicide.

    TMZ is reporting the jocks who pulled the joke have "suspended themselves" and taken themselves off the air for doing this.

    ReplyDelete
  82. B62611:47 AM

    I dont give 2 phucks about the royals but this is just wrong.
    Is it THAT big of a deal over the pond?
    Sheeesh.

    ReplyDelete
  83. Mango11:48 AM

    Does anyone know if the hospital or the palace give the hospital staff instructions about fielding phone calls?

    ReplyDelete
  84. Mary Ann11:52 AM

    This is a tragedy. I never listen to "shock jocks" because they are not my own cup of tea. These DJs were irresponsible and this poor woman has paid the price for it.

    ReplyDelete
  85. B62611:53 AM

    I dont give 2 phucks about the royals but this is just wrong.
    Is it THAT big of a deal over the pond?
    Sheeesh.

    ReplyDelete
  86. B62611:58 AM

    I dont give 2 phucks about the royals but this is just wrong.
    Is it THAT big of a deal over the pond?
    Sheeesh.

    ReplyDelete
  87. Micehelly12:04 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  88. Kiki K12:07 PM

    It was Kyle and Jackie O with the rape incident on air. It was the same station but different DJ's who did the prank

    ReplyDelete
  89. Agent**It12:28 PM

    The owners of the radio station suspended them until further notice. They didn't take themselves off the air.

    ReplyDelete
  90. Agent**It12:41 PM

    Update- Jacintha had been staying in staff accommodations in a building near the hospital, away from her family in the city of Bristol.

    ReplyDelete
  91. Moosefan12:42 PM

    Peace to her family and friends.

    ReplyDelete
  92. auntliddy12:42 PM

    These so called shick jicks are majorly unfunny. I never understand how sane humans embrace this crap. Having fun at someone else's expense isnt hilarious, its just plain mean and shows a lack of character. Incidentally, i was hvng this sort of discussion last night with 2 of my grandchildren,- ages 7 and 9!!!!!!!! Guess no one had that discussion with these two idiots.!

    ReplyDelete
  93. __-__=__12:46 PM

    So unnecessary. The poor woman was being altruistic and trying to help. They killed her trust in humanity. Animals preying on the weak.

    ReplyDelete
  94. Sherry12:49 PM

    I feel for the deceased woman's family. I'm sure the DJ's going in had no idea they would even breach security so imagine it was a surprise. They asked to speak to their grand daughter. Then the nurse opened up on her medical information. She should have never given them the information.
    ESPECIALLTY in light of the phone tapping scandal they should have suspected anyone would do anything to get any information. Sadly I don't think she should have taken her own life if that is indeed what happened in the end.

    ReplyDelete
  95. zeldafitzgerald1:43 PM

    I don't know if this has been covered but these ARE NOT the same DJs who got a girl to admit she was raped.

    These two are different people and they weren't bragging after they found out she died, they deleted their respective twitters and have taken themselves off the air.

    Having said that, Austereo, the media network that owns 2Day FM in Australia, have a reputation for this sort of thing. Kyle Sandilands (NOT one of the DJs involved) is a fairly reprehensible person with no conscience about who he hurts to get laughs, including his on air partner, Jackie O, who lets herself be abused and ridiculed on air.

    It remains to be seen what will happen but i can promise you the two DJs and their producer repsonsible for the prank ARE NOT laughing and bragging and are indeed horrified by what has happened.

    Let's not continue the baying of blood for these two young people over a stupid stupid prank with horrific consequences.

    Online commentary has a lot to answer for.

    ReplyDelete
  96. Zeeky_Boogy_Doog2:19 PM

    Yeah, I don't call this a prank, either. It's a breach of information.

    On the other side, what if had been the Queen and they refused her? That could cause problems, too... "Hey, that's the lady who told the queen she was a fake!"

    One thing that really sucks is for William. He lost his mother as a result of running away from overactive media. Now this woman is dead (as far as we know) from consequences of overactive media. Of course, it's all more complex than that -- the whole thing just sucks.

    ReplyDelete
  97. jax3:13 PM

    OK then....so they never had "any idea this would happen!"

    WHAT THE FUCK DO THEY THINK WOULD HAPPEN? SHE'D GET A RAISE??

    Once they got information off of whoever was at the other end of the phone...how in the fuck could they NOT know there would be serious repercussions for that person??

    Maybe they didn't expect suicide, but they sure a s shit should have expected something! Especially since they apologized after the fact!

    This radio station is filled with shitty people. Period.

    ReplyDelete
  98. Anonymous3:20 PM

    To me, the DJ's bullied the nurse. They made a mockery of her error in judgment and held her up to public ridicule. Supposed out of respect for Kate, they bleeped the details but played the rest of the nurse's conversation across the mass airwaves to mock and ridicule. Plus who knows what kind of tongue lashing she might have gotten from her superiors because shit rolls downhill fast and hard. The Queen's camp probably privately lambasted the hospital administration for the breech though publicly acted like all is forgiven. While the DJ's didn't cause the end of the nurse's life, they sure set her up to be in a living hell by broadcasting her humiliation to the masses and holding her to public ridicule. Not sad they lost their jobs. They don't know how to appropriately use the power they had.

    ReplyDelete
  99. Inger3:38 PM

    The those who say the nurse had "major issues" to begin with. She was Indian (her name is Indian), so hasn't it occurred to anyone she might have killed herself because of the SHAME she felt she brought onto her own family?

    And yes, those Australian asshats need to be sacked ASAP.

    ReplyDelete
  100. JSierra3:54 PM

    Honestly it doesn't sound like the DJ's had malicious intentions. Would you honestly expect anyone to believe you if you claimed to be the Queen of England and had a hoaxy accent like they did? I would think it was hilarious that anyone believed me, just like they did. They didn't set out to hurt, it was a prank that had extremely unfortunate, and unforeseeable consequences.

    ReplyDelete
  101. misspeg864:22 PM

    Oh dear. I'm actually a loyal listener of this radio station's regular morning show (not this duo involved). I'm not sure how to react to this but I just feel they have made Australians look really ignorant and stupid (which is not true - we are not ALL like that). Anyway here is the link to the official statement from the radio network...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. katsm071110:56 PM

      @miss I don't think most people assume all Australians are like these two DJ's! Not at all! Every country has their embarrassing celebs who are constantly in the news representing! Please tell me that you don't picture us all like the Kardashians?

      Delete
  102. katsm07114:59 PM

    It's not even a confirmed suicide, it's just speculation at this point?
    If you're blaming the dj's, you need to stop and instead blame the listeners who give them ratings and make the radio station owners put that garbage on the air bc that's how they make money

    ReplyDelete
  103. katsm07115:16 PM

    Never mind I was just told it was confirmed a suicide. Maybe someone up above was right that it's not mental illness but the shame thing bc she's Indian. I actually find that stupider and sadder than suicide from depression. Those of us who haven't need to boycott shock jocks (besides Howard Stern)

    ReplyDelete
  104. Henriette5:42 PM

    Sarah Palin didn't kill herself.

    ReplyDelete
  105. Anonymous5:44 PM

    This certainly is a shocking turn of events and will cause much contemplation on all those involved. I've already been rethinking my earlier comments as too hasty. I'm sure the DJ's didn't think this could be the result of their prank, yet I do think we should be mindful of the mass media's impact on the lives of the private person. I tell my students just because they have the ability to the record anyone doesn't mean they should. Just because they can post on Youtube or the internet, doesn't mean they should.

    ReplyDelete
  106. Slap-n-Tickle6:03 PM

    @katsm0711 - I find your comments horribly offensive and "stupid", to use your word.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. katsm07116:15 PM

      Good for you @go! Everyone is entitled to his own opinion! Good for you for not jumping on my bandwagon! I'm sorry but who are you and why would I care if you disagree with me? You don't even state reasons. You didn't really "disagree" to use your word, all you did was say that my opinion is the wrong one. That was fun thanks for responding!

      Delete
  107. AuntJess6:22 PM

    The poor dear. Feel awful for her family.

    ReplyDelete
  108. Slap-n-Tickle6:51 PM

    You're welcome, katsm. You're an asshole, too :)

    ReplyDelete
  109. Cassiopeia6:58 PM

    Kats tends to post immature and "stupid" comments.

    ReplyDelete
  110. Anonymous7:28 PM

    How ironic are goettin and goes in circles comments : this whole situation stemmed from bullying and yet you two want to engage in further bullying. Nicely done.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BlindItemMe4:40 AM

      @Michelle, nicely said! We are all here to agree what a tragedy this is, no need for name calling is there?

      RIP jacintha

      Delete
  111. Serenity_Now7:53 PM

    Seriously, I think I'm about to peace out from CDAN for awhile. Or at least avoid the comments section. First of all, the DJs were clearly irresponsible. As others above have stated, you don't joke with hospitals. Just like you don't yell "FIRE" in a theater or prank call 911. Second, obviously, the hotel and all of its staff should have protected the privacy of its patient. But shit happens, as they say. I doubt anyone here can claim that they've never screwed up at work. Finally, and most importantly, I cannot STAND people making light of suicide, and I equally can't stand people blaming outside influences. As someone who lost a very close, very dear friend to suicide, I know all too well how easy it is to blame circumstances: she was having trouble at work, she was having health problems, she had issues with her mother, or the worst: I didn't answer the phone that night when she called. But it wasn't any of those circumstances that led her to kill herself. And it's not something that I will ever fully understand. The decision to kill oneself is personal, internal and irrational by its very nature. But it's so damn disrespectful to say, "Suicide, over that?" As if you know. as if you have any right to judge. If you haven't lived it, keep your damn mouth shut. We can never know what is in someone else's mind, heart and soul, mentally ill or otherwise. So lose the judgment and focus on being kind to yourself and others, and pray you're never in that dark place and never have to lose someone you love to it.

    ReplyDelete
  112. Sydney2122110:34 PM

    Dia,
    I'm so sorry, that must have been absolutely horrendous. I'm pleased to hear that your brother is doing so much better now, long may that continue.

    And for your poor BIL - how truly awful for his whole family. I hope that all those who were affected will be able to find some kind of peace and acceptance, in time.

    Serenity_Now,
    That's really well said. Thank you for saying it.

    ReplyDelete
  113. Zeeky_Boogy_Doog10:39 PM

    Like said earlier, this really shouldn't be called a prank. A better term is "social engineering."

    What if, instead of Kate, it was the CEO of a company in hospital? Finding and releasing their private health info could cause their stocks to crash, could wipe out people's retirement funds. Or if it was a world leader, in negotiations to enter into war? These are all "what ifs" but this shows how easy it could be next time.

    Or like that tech writer that got his iPhone and Macs bricked, and his Twitter stolen. Some hackers wanted this guy's Twitter name, so they did a little research, called up Apple while pretending to be the writer, got Apple to reveal info. From there, they erased all his stuff remotely.

    Or a little closer to home: Us. Probably all of us by now have either been a victim of identity theft, or know someone who has. All they need is a little info, a little "engineering" and your accounts are wiped. Or you're the new owner of a Mercedes, but you don't know how to drive.

    Or, Kevin Mitnick. He's that hacker that spent five years in prison for his actions. Social engineering was a mainstay in his exploits.

    So, regardless of whether that poor woman is dead because of their identity theft, what they did needs to be seen as a serious thing. Blurting someone's private health info to the world like these DJ's did is wrong.

    ReplyDelete
  114. K3:12 AM

    The hospital never spoke to or censured this poor woman, she just put a call through to the ward nurse. I can't help wondering though whether the inevitable hounding by the press (and not just from the UK) may have been the final straw from other things that may have been going on in her life too..

    ReplyDelete
  115. Mia Luna5:01 AM

    This lady was from a community with a high suicide rate among women - 2-3 times the national average. This is a problem that activists in that community are trying to change. I'm not saying the DJ's shouldn't be held accountable for their prank - they should - but it is likely there are other factors at play here.
    The book 'Daughters of Shame' by Jasvinder Sanghera goes into this.
    Either way, it doesn't make her death any less senseless or tragic.

    ReplyDelete
  116. dia papaya6:29 AM

    Thank you Rox and BlindItemMe!

    Talking about suicide and the long-term consequences can be healing for many people. Now that my brother is on the mend, he talks about being in that dark place with overwhelming pain and suffering. He just wanted that feeling to stop. And in that moment, when he downed all the pills he was only thinking about his own dispair. Now that he's better he feels bad for putting us all through that. But at the time when you're in the darkness "the anomie" as someone above so eloquently stated above is so intense and consuming that the logical mind shuts down. I think other CDaN members have talked about this before.

    And BlindItemMe, I'm so sorry for your uncle and his family and what you went through. Many times it is "the last straw" that sends someone over that cliff of despair. For my brother it was a bad break up, coupled with the sudden and completely unexpected death of our father. When you're in that dark place nothing is very clear.

    ReplyDelete
  117. dia papaya6:41 AM

    And thank you to VIPblonde and AKM (and others) for pointing out that suicide isn't always connected to prior depression or mental illness.

    Lastly, I wanted to say that because of sad events in my life I try to stay positive and spread the joy. Humor is the best medicine. So I know I can be a be ridiculous and over the top with my cheer and use of !!! However, I know the opposite all too well and choose not to stay in that dark place. It's not always easy. It can be hard to stay positive, but I'm making an active effort to be happy go lucky and shine my light! However, I am always ready to take out my warrior of the light sword and slash up hurtful dumb asses! Have a great Saturday (or Sunday). Hugs!!!

    ReplyDelete
  118. Sydney2122112:07 AM

    Dia, you're amazing and an inspiration - thank you for sharing your experiences with us. Have a good sunday. xxx

    ReplyDelete
  119. AKM7:57 AM

    You ALWAYS rock, dia, and we NEED your positivity. Sure, snarky can be fun; if it weren't, we wouldn't be here. But some of us get caught up in silliness and flat-out ugliness over here. We need people like you to remember what's really important.

    I hope you had a great weekend. And the same for the rest of you crazy kids!

    ReplyDelete

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