Last night, Prince William and Kate expressed that they were “shocked and saddened” by the tragic suicide of a hospital nurse who was deceived by a hoax caller impersonating the Queen.
Jacintha Saldanha, aged 46, was discovered dead just two days following the prank carried out by an Australian DJ.
Tributes flowed in last night for the devastated mother of two, Jacintha, who reportedly took her life after being tormented by her error in connecting the call to the ward where pregnant Kate was resting.
At 5.30am, two chuckling DJs called the switchboard of King Edward VII Hospital, pretending to be the Queen and Prince Charles.
Despite their antics sounding more akin to pantomime characters than actual royalty, and with colleagues imitating barking corgis in the backdrop, presenters Mel Greig and Michael Christian managed to reach a nursing station on the ward where the Duchess was recuperating from severe morning sickness.
In a shocking lapse of royal security, the unsuspecting nurse divulged to the duo that the Duchess was having an ‘uneventful’ night and went on to share several deeply personal details about her health.
Yesterday, in a state of dismay, the hospital’s director John Lofthouse confirmed that staff had indeed relayed confidential information about Kate, stating: ‘This was a foolish prank call that we all deplore.’
‘We all deplore this foolish prank call. Patient confidentiality is something we take extremely seriously, and we are now reviewing our telephone protocols.’
‘This call was forwarded to a ward, and a brief conversation occurred with one of the nursing staff. King Edward VII’s Hospital deeply regrets this incident.’
St James’s Palace has chosen not to comment and will not be filing any formal complaint against the Sydney-based radio station, 2Day.
However, it has been revealed that William and Kate’s private staff are outraged and have communicated ‘deep concern’ regarding the potential breach of the Duchess’s privacy.
What they find most troubling is how effortlessly the DJs managed to pull off their prank.
‘The Royal Family has frequented King Edward VII Hospital for many years, and it is completely unbelievable that a member of the public could simply call in and acquire details about the Duchess’s medical status in such a manner.
The prank radio station 2Day FM is currently under two five-year probationary periods for severe violations of the regulatory code, which came to light yesterday.
The station received its first reprimand in 2009 after a 14-year-old girl was subjected to a lie detector test and coerced into revealing live on air that she had been sexually assaulted.
The reluctant teenager was brought onto The Kyle and Jackie O Show by her mother, who expressed concern over her daughter’s drug use and partying habits.
The mother asked her daughter: ‘Have you ever had sex?’
In response, she stated: ‘I’ve already told you the story about this…and don’t look at me and smile because it’s not funny’.
After a brief pause, the girl said: ‘Oh OK, I was raped when I was 12 years old.’
Following public outrage, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) imposed a five-year licence condition mandating 2Day FM, owned by Southern Cross Austereo, to ‘enhance protections for children involved in hosted entertainment programs’.
Mr. Sandilands incurred the second licence condition after he insulted a female journalist live on air, calling her a ‘fat slag.’
The journalist working for New Limited lodged the complaint.Following her critique of his work, Breakfast DJ Kyle Sandilands verbally assaulted her, leading to a report to the ACMA.
He allegedly remarked: ‘What a fat bitter thing you are, you deputy editor of an online thing.
‘You’re a piece of s**t, and you’ve got a nothing job anyway,’ he continued. ‘You’re a bulls**t artist, girl. That’s what you are. You should be fired from your job.’
The station was subjected to another five-year condition that bars it from airing indecent content that degrades women or girls.
However, after Southern Cross Austereo appealed, the terms were softened to encompass only material that offends ‘generally accepted standards of decency.’
“Where on earth were the checks and balances? The hospital will be furious about this incident, and I am sure the palace will expect answers. There will undoubtedly be repercussions over this.”
Furthermore, MailOnline has uncovered that the same radio station faced reprimand in 2009, when a 14-year-old girl was attached to a lie detector and coerced into revealing on air that she had been raped.
This marks the second breach of privacy for Kate since her marriage to Prince William, the first being the publication of topless sunbathing photos taken in France last September.
In a shocking stunt early yesterday, 2Day FM DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian impersonated the Queen and Prince Charles, subsequently calling the hospital.
Their call was transferred to the appropriate ward, where they were connected with one of Kate’s nursing staff.
The nurse relayed that the Duchess was about to be ‘freshened up’, adding: ‘She’s sleeping at the moment and had an uneventful night. She’s stable at the moment and has been given some fluids.’
They were informed by the nurse that they could visit the Duchess after 9 am.
She suggested to the hoax Queen and Charles: ‘Any time after nine o’clock will be suitable to visit. We’ll be getting her freshened up.’
A spokesman for the radio station later expressed regret for the disruption caused by the call.
He stated yesterday: ‘2Day FM sincerely apologises for any inconvenience caused by the inquiry into Kate’s hospital. The radio segment was carried out with the best intentions, and we wish Kate and her family all the best.’
This station is a part of Southern Cross Austereo, an Australian media conglomerate formed from a merger last year, which operates various TV and radio brands and claims to connect with 95 percent of Australians weekly.
The prank call was pre-recorded and legally vetted prior to being aired in Sydney.
Yesterday, the radio duo commented, “We were quite surprised that our call actually went through.
‘We expected to be disconnected as soon as they noticed our terrible accents.’
‘We sincerely apologize if we’ve caused any problems and are relieved to hear Kate is doing well.’
Public reactions on Twitter reflected disbelief and outrage.
Emma Rossi, a representative for the Australian Communications and Media Authority, which oversees broadcasters, stated, ‘We are unaware of receiving a complaint, but privacy issues are taken seriously by us.’
She explained that the usual procedure requires a complaint to be lodged with the broadcaster first. If the response is unsatisfactory to the complainant, the ACMA would then initiate its own investigation.
However, insiders in Australia indicate that the prank call made to the Duchess’s hospital could be serious enough to prompt an immediate investigation by the ACMA, known as a section 180.
The Care Quality Commission, responsible for ensuring hospitals comply with national standards, confirmed it has been made aware of the incident.
by Vandas Voice
