UK & World News
- 4 February 2013, 1:50
Royal Hoax Call DJs Will Not Face Charges
The Australian DJs who made a prank call to the hospital treating the Duchess of Cambridge will not be prosecuted.
No charges will be brought against Mel Greig and Michael Christian over the hoax, the Crown Prosecution Service said.
Details of the Duchess' rare form of morning sickness were revealed on air on December 4, 2012, when the pair made the prank call to King Edward VII's Hospital in central London, posing as the Queen and Prince Charles.
Nurse Jacintha Saldanha transferred them to a colleague, who then described Kate Middleton's condition in detail.
Ms Saldanha, a mother of two, was found hanged three days later in her living quarters at the hospital, sparking a backlash against the 2Day FM DJs.
Malcolm McHaffie, from the CPS, said there was no evidence to support a manslaughter charge and any potential prosecution would not be in the public interest.
Scotland Yard provided the CPS with a file of evidence on December 19 and asked advice on whether a prosecution should be brought.
Mr McHaffie said the CPS had taken into account, among other matters, that it is not possible to extradite people from Australia on the potential offences in question.
He also said it considered that "however misguided, the telephone call was intended as a harmless prank".
"The consequences in this case were very sad. We send our sincere condolences to Jacintha Saldanha's family," he added.
John Lofthouse, chief executive at King Edward VII's Hospital, said it would not be commenting on the matter.
He added: "The consequences of that hoax call are well-known, and tragic. We will continue to support the family of our much-loved nurse Jacintha Saldanha during what continues to be a very sad time."
Earlier this week, Southern Cross Austereo, the parent company of the radio station 2Day FM, announced the DJs would be keeping their jobs and returning to the air soon "in roles that make full use of their talents".
The DJs apologised and expressed their regrets in emotional television interviews after Ms Saldanha's death, saying they never expected their call would be put through.
Hot 30 - the show they hosted, was taken off air and later cancelled.
what do you think?
Neil C
Common sense, unlike us we would rather waste time in inquiries at the tax payers expense.
jimmyjedi1979
Common sense wins the day. The royal sheep won't be happy about this :)
pjbeckett
Wrong, we are not.
Juliecrumpton1234
It was a PRANK, maybe av silly one for heavens sake!
stewgwyn
Hi Julie, hope you're on the mend ! Stewart & Gwyneth xx
Juliecrumpton1234
Hi both! Ahh! Now I understand your name! :-) I'm remarkably well thankyou! Out last mon, a surgeons dream my nurse said! Just waiting for pathology so fingers crossed! X
GillieLouise
Hi Julie 1234... I have everything crossed for you darling. You have been in my thoughts and prayers since the news broke. Keep going love.
Valerie Wood
Julie nice to see you up and running again xx
Juliecrumpton1234
Thanks, gillie and Valerie! Please never underestimate how your good wishes make me feel, been quite an adventure! :-) xxxxx
jimmyjedi1979
This comment has been removed for violations of our Terms and Conditions.
Juliecrumpton1234
I'm intrigued?
Gordon Wright
What evidence do you have to support that statement???
Lorgar Aurelian
He'll tell you to go look at some swivel-eyed conspiracy website...
Mike MCDonough
What?
jimmyjedi1979
Notice how all the pedophiles being uncovered are limited to celebrities end dead people? Politicians and royals get away with murder. Literally.
Lorgar Aurelian
What about Cyril Smith? And didn't they accuse a Tory peer?
Gordon Wright
Still waiting for an answer to my question, What evidence do you have to support your allegation??..........
SagePhotoWorld
I am rather galled that the CPS was even involved and that a report was even compiled. That's at least £10,000 of taxpayer's money thrown away.
Louisa Gieldon
I agree with you - what a waste of time and money compiling such a report. Glad common sense has prevailed though.
Scott Cooper
Seems alot of people here don't realise that one is breaking the law when they make a prank call, the laws involved aren't usually enforced as they are misdemeanor and viewed more as a nuisance. There is also the fact it is illegal to claim to be someone you are not in order to acquire information.
Robbie369P .
It's also illegal to ride your bike on the pavement.
Juliecrumpton1234
Oh lighten up!
Vladtheinhaler .
Is it illegal to ride your bike on the pavement ? Don't think so, but it's a serious issue, so i'll have a gander , and find out for sure.
Chris Carr
Many of our small laws, like riding your bike on the pavement or many nusiance calls, are to do with respect for other people. In the current "me" society that is being totally lost as folk assume that what they want over rides other considerations.
Para999Tom
good call, common sense rules. ( well in this case anyway)
Gordon Wright
I don't like prank calls because of the damage they sometimes cause. However, the two people concerned have hopefully learned a lesson from this experience and there is really no point in taking this matter any further..................
Andrea Hill
i hate pranks when people are made fun of, it not funny. used to hate those progs on tele. now grow up you two!!
Gordon Wright
Fair comment Andrea, I share your views. One does not like to speak ill of the dead but how Jeremy Beadle managed to escape being physically assaulted escapes me............
stewgwyn
Well Gordon, we've all chewed the fat over this one before, and we'll all have to agree to disagree. But I wonder if all those who hold, or have held, positions of responsibility, can hand on heart, can say that they would have kept their jobs and faced no further consequences after pulling a stunt like that ?
Louisa Gieldon
But Stewgyn. that was actually part of their job whether we like it or not, they were expected to play these tricks and it was condoned by their bosses and their audience
Gordon Wright
A fair comment Stew, I believe I share your views regarding the stupidity of such pranks but wonder if any useful purpose would be served by prosecution in this case. Hopefully, these two have learned a lesson here and will think twice in future. As you say, we can agree to disagree on this matter, at least we can do so like sensible people without falling out over it......... Regards, Gordon
stewgwyn
Well Louisa, it may have been part of their job description, but what a sad existence. I'd stick pins in my eyes before tuning in to such puerile rubbish. I'm quite flexible to entertain, Abba to ZZ Top and most things in between, but these people hardly play music anymore, they're just in love with the sound of their own voices.
Gordon Wright
Another fair comment Stew, I too, can remember the days when DJs, (or announcers as they were once called), simply played music most of the time. When did they start thinking it was all about them rather that the music??.........
Gordon Wright
Sorry Stew, that should read "rather than the music", Dyslexic fingers again !!
Louisa Gieldon
Stewgyn I agree that it's a pretty stupid job. I find these pranks and most djs boring nasty dumb and egotistical. I don't listen to that sort of radio programme and never did. Even when i was young i turned my nose up at those programmes. They are dumb programmes for dumb people. Was only pointing out that it was their job, not condoning or admiring it.
stewgwyn
I accept your point of view, Louisa, your past comments tend to indicate that you have led a useful life to the benefit of others, as I have tried to myself. It's just a pity that worthless pieces of humanity are the ones that grab the attention, and in the meantime I very much doubt whether their ratings will suffer. But in the long term, they won't be remembered at all, and that's where the justice kicks in, not in the law courts.
sunshine
Common sense has prevailed - it was irrelevant that it had anything to do with the Royal Family
Juliecrumpton1234
Well said sunshine!
Ian Black
no charges could have been brought as no offencee was committed.
stewgwyn
Hoax calls are an offence.
Juliecrumpton1234
But are they a serious offence?
stewgwyn
Hi Julie, hoax as opposed to prank, I believe there's a difference. This was a hoax, not a prank that you play on your mates. They were not friends of the hospital staff, and although I agree they could not have forseen the outcome, I would consider it to be serious.
Gordon Wright
Despite the fact that action is seldom taken against hoaxers of this nature, Stewgwn is quite correct Hoax calls are an offence, as is pretending to be somone else to obtain information..............
Carol Warner
How can they live with themselves. ~So it was only a prank when the consequences were an innocent persons death. Also Prince Williams baby news spoilt for them by these idiots in Australia. No i am not a royalist more of a humanist. If I was the cause of someones death by a prank .....well I I would not want to live.
Juliecrumpton1234
I truly do not believe they caused this lady's death, there were far more issues, I believe. It was a silly prank, no malicious intent, I should imagine the two djs will regret this prank for the rest of their lives, as for " spoiling" the royal baby news....doubt it!
Louisa Gieldon
Agree with Julie - no malice or cruelty was intended or indeed shown to this lady.
GillieLouise
I thought it was a very silly prank that went horribly wrong. I am sure the DJ's feel so sorry about the whole incident. They have been cleared of malice.... no way could they be held responsible for this poor ladies death. It was sad that she was depressed... perhaps those closer to her should have seen some signs but no way was anyone responsible. I just pray that she is now at peace.
Louisa Gieldon
Agree Gillie.
Carol Warner
well wasted time by feeling sorry for the poor nurse. Obviously the majority of you go for this kind of "fun"? the next time any of you are publicly humiliated you will share it with the rest of the world. There are people who are sensitive to being made a fool. I myself prefer the laughter that comes from true wit because my husband (a true man and a gentleman) said that leg pulling always leads to someone getting hurt and is only used by the wit-less and unintelligent.
Louisa Gieldon
Carol there are different types of humour and pranks are not my personal favourite, though i have seen a good many very funny ones. I don't like anything that humiliates people. This wasn't the case here. She wasn't called names, no one said anything cruel to her. The prank backfired.
Gordon Wright
That's the trouble with thoughtless pranks Louisa, they sometimes backfire and innocent people get hurt. I do not demand that these two be hung out to dry, hopefully they have learned a lesson here. That lesson is, every action has a reaction and it would be wise to think, before playing any more "pranks" of this nature.............
Chris Carr
Louisa: how can you say no one was humiliated inthis case? Of course the nurse felt she had been. It was a junvenile and thoughtless act more worthy of a primary school playground than a broadcaster.
Louisa Gieldon
Gordon I agree with what you say, that's why i am not interested in anything which humiliates other people. Chris i said they did not humiliate her, not that she didb't feel humiliated by them. There were other factors which would have added to this feeling. Mrs Saldanha did not have a prolonged conversation with these djs, nor did she give them any information at all - all she did was use the switchboard to connect their call to the ward. I repeat;@ she may have felt humiliated but nothing in the call was i believe overtly humiliating. They did not call her names, she did not respond innappropriately to questions, or behave unprofessionally.
stewgwyn
The anguish of humiliation, whether real or imagined, is just the same. If asked in my twilight years what I had done to be proud of, ''I really made a difference, I pulled silly stunts on the radio'' wouldn't sound too good, would it ?
Louisa Gieldon
Stewgyn i agree with you on that as it's exactly how i feel about life and what we leave behind us.
Carol Warner
By the way would any of you have taken this so lightly if the nurse had been your wife,daughter,sister,mother,friend.
Louisa Gieldon
I and many others are not "taking this lightly" Carol. A lady died and left behind a young family and many of us expressed great sadness at her death. without blaming the djs for the unfortunate and tragic turn of events that this case took.
Gordon Wright
Fair point Carol, It's easy to be magnanimous when it doesn't directly concern you..................
Louisa Gieldon
But it's also easy to assume that other posters, whom you do not know, have never had these experiences in their lives.
Gordon Wright
I don't make any assumptions Louisa. I actually said in a previous post that I thought non prosecution was a sensible outcome to this matter. However, Carol raised a point which I had not previously considered and I felt it was a reasonable one. Had this happened to a relative of mine perhaps I would have felt differently re possible prosecution..................
Louisa Gieldon
Wasn't getting at you Gordon, just musing. Maybe i would have , maybe i wouldn't. I'd like to think not but until you are in that postion you don't really know. When people are the victims of crimes (not that i think this was a crime) i would never presume to tell them or their relatives what they should feel or think, because they have been through an experience i may not have been. But it doesn't affect my own views, usually.
Gordon Wright
Fair enough Louisa, Sorry for the misunderstanding, have given you a "thumbs up" as some small compensation !!..........
Brian Quinn
Excellent result. Common sense prevailed.
Juliecrumpton1234
12:15pm on 1/2/2013
I should think so too! Good call!
Juliecrumpton1234
9:16pm on 3/2/2013
Hee hee! I LOVE the thumbs downers! Cos they never give reasens why they do it, so consequently I always have a giggle to myself! C!MON! Show yourselves, cowards! ;-)