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- A Private Eye
- Rep: 77
Re: Nurse commits suicide after royal prank call
http://news.sky.com/story/1022287/kate- … ts-suicide
A nurse at the hospital caring for the Duchess of Cambridge, who took a hoax call from DJs, is found dead at a London address.
A nurse duped by a prank phone call at the hospital treating the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge has died in a suspected suicide.
Jacintha Saldanha, 46, who has worked at the hospital for four years, was found dead at an address near King Edward VII's hospital in London on Friday morning.
The hospital confirmed she had been the victim of a hoax call in which two Australian DJs, pretending to be the Queen and Prince of Wales, phoned up about Kate.
Ms Saldanha, a mother of two, received the call and put it through to the ward where another nurse updated the pair on the Duchess, who was being treated for severe morning sickness.
Sky News crime correspondent Martin Brunt said the nurse was from Bristol and has a son and a daughter. "The hospital had not suspended Ms Saldanha, nor disciplined her," he added.
Her family said in a statement: "We as a family are deeply saddened by the loss of our beloved Jacintha."
The owners of the radio station say the two DJs behind the call are "deeply shocked" by the tragedy. They have been dropped from their show until further notice amid a major backlash.
The Duke and Duchess leaving the hospital on Thursday
Kate, who is understood to be well under 12 weeks pregnant, was admitted to the hospital on Monday after falling ill over the weekend and released again on Thursday.
The Duchess and her husband, William, the Duke of Cambridge, said in a statement that they were "deeply saddened" by the nurse's death.
"Their Royal Highnesses were looked after so wonderfully well at all times by everybody at King Edward VII Hospital, and their thoughts and prayers are with Jacintha Saldanha's family, friends and colleagues at this very sad time," they said.
A St James's Palace spokesman added: "At no point did the Palace complain to the hospital about the incident. On the contrary, we offered our full and heartfelt support to the nurses involved and hospital staff at all times."
The King Edward VII Hospital said: "It is with very deep sadness that we confirm the tragic death of a member of our nursing staff, Jacintha Saldanha.
"Jacintha has worked at the King Edward VII's 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."
Hospital chief executive John Lofthouse said: "Our thoughts and deepest sympathies at this time are with her family and friends. Everyone is shocked by the loss of a much-loved and valued colleague."
Police going into nurses' accommodation at the hospital
Lord Glenarthur, the hospital's chairman, said: "This is a tragic event. Jacintha was a first class nurse who cared diligently for hundreds of patients during her time with us. She will be greatly missed."
Dr Peter Carter, chief executive and general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, added: "This is tragic news, and the thoughts of all at the Royal College of Nursing go to the family of Jacintha Saldanha.
"It is deeply saddening that a simple human error due to a cruel hoax could lead to the death of a dedicated and caring member of the nursing profession."
Police were called to the address at 9.35am on Friday after a report about a woman found unconscious. Paramedics rushed to the property but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "Inquiries are continuing to establish the circumstances of the incident. The death is not being treated as suspicious at this stage."
Michael Christian and Mel Greig, DJs on the 2DayFM radio station, broadcast their call to the hospital on Wednesday morning.
Greig, impersonating the Queen, asked to speak to her "granddaughter Catherine" and managed to persuade Ms Saldanha to put her through to the ward where Kate was being treated.
The security breach was deeply embarrassing for the hospital, which is the medical institution of choice for the Royal Family.
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I realise this is last weeks news but I wondering what peoples take on it was.
It feels like I'm in the minority but I feel seriously sorry for the two DJ's here, there's talk of prosecution/jail, moving them to safehouses due to death threats being received. Perhaps I'm being insensitive but for me the nurse has acted both selfishly and completely irrationally. The way some people are going on you'd think suicide was a very common and real consequence of prank calls by radio stations and they should have considered this in advance.
- Me_Wise_Magic
- Rep: 70
Re: Nurse commits suicide after royal prank call
My dad told me this yesterday afternoon. Quite depressing.
Re: Nurse commits suicide after royal prank call
Sounds like BS to me. Married with two children, works taking calls at a hospital (won't last long if you're faint hearted there). I also seriously doubt if it's even legit that somebody can do this prank that easy. You'd assume the hospital have some routines, especially when it's the hospital the royals always use.
Assuming any of this is true, the hospitals claim that they had been very supportive of her following the incident is obviously a load of dung. Either way, it's a prank call. I'm not bying any of this. No normal person with a good job and a family should be this weak. Just doesn't make any sense.
It reminds me of that Kony 2012 dude that made that viral video about the african rebel leader. 2 days later and there's a story about him getting arrested for masturbating in public. Or when they claimed to have found nuclear weapons in Libya (that story lasted about 10 minutes). Just wtf? all the way.
Re: Nurse commits suicide after royal prank call
Sounds like BS to me. Married with two children, works taking calls at a hospital (won't last long if you're faint hearted there). I also seriously doubt if it's even legit that somebody can do this prank that easy. You'd assume the hospital have some routines, especially when it's the hospital the royals always use.
Assuming any of this is true, the hospitals claim that they had been very supportive of her following the incident is obviously a load of dung. Either way, it's a prank call. I'm not bying any of this. No normal person with a good job and a family should be this weak. Just doesn't make any sense.
It reminds me of that Kony 2012 dude that made that viral video about the african rebel leader. 2 days later and there's a story about him getting arrested for masturbating in public. Or when they claimed to have found nuclear weapons in Libya (that story lasted about 10 minutes). Just wtf? all the way.
My biggest point of contention in the way this story with the nurse's suicide has been portrayed, or interpreted by some, is that while she committed suicide after this prank from the Aussie DJs, there's no real evidence that her decision to take her own life was based in whole, in part or at all on the prank call. Her suicide notes may shed light on that, it may not. I understand why based on the sequence of events, people think the prank call may have played a part in the decision to commit suicide, but that may not be true at all, or that prank call may have played a minor factor.
Ali
- metallex78
- Rep: 194
Re: Nurse commits suicide after royal prank call
This has been all over the news here in Australia, and I don't think the DJ's should be accountable for her death!
The woman obviously had some deeper issues of her own, to take her life because of a harmless rank phone call.
Re: Nurse commits suicide after royal prank call
If they wanna hold the DJ's responsible then they should also hold the worlds media just as responsible, since they (particularly the British press), made sure this was in the headlines day after day and helped blow the whole thing up until it was bigger than Ben Hur.
Personally the radio stations management have more to answer for than the DJ's. It wasn't a live prank, it was pre-recorded and then went thru management and lawyers before it was aired. Sure the DJ's made the prank call expecting to be hung up on and how they weren't is staggering. But when they got put thru and another nurse told them some personal info, it's the radio stations hierarchy that still decided to air the call. So how the DJ's have copped so much blame is pretty unfair.
Re: Nurse commits suicide after royal prank call
I'm not sure I understand what you're getting at. Are you saying the suicide itself is made up or the story as a whole is made up?
I might be missing the point entirely.
I thought they were very quick to declare it a suicide. Usually it's the "we gonna wait for the police report". A few hours after this happens it's in the papers. You'd assume somebody else would have to be home for somebody to notice it that early (found unconscious). If her husband is working that is unlikely at 9.30 and I don't know what's logical in these cases, but here it sounds like she killed herself with her husband in the shower or something. No outrage from the family as far as I've seen either. I'd be fuming at the media/hospital. I don't know, whole thing just seems fishy.
One thing is for sure, the hospital has definitely not been the unconditional support to her that they claim. By the looks of it she got scolded pretty hard to get that depressed.
