Wow...don't follow the Royal's bidness but...

[bassybill]

The hospital and the Royals claim they'd been supportive of the staff who got suckered into this - no disciplinary action or management bullying, no complaints from the Palace about the hospital etc. Most likely, the people to blame are the idiot DJs who pulled the stunt (in a pretty small way), the media here who turned it into a big deal and, most of all, the section of the public addicted to any detail of the royal soap opera, no matter how trivial or inane. If nobody wanted to gawp at the royals, the prank itself would have been ignored as the dumb non-event that it really should have been. Instead, we get this. Tragically senseless.

[Eric Perry]

Originally Posted by MatticusMania

I think thats a harsh statement, Eric. I dont think theres any way the person who came up with the idea could have guessed it would turn out this way. But to say that you doubt he even cares... on what are you basing that assumption? I mean, maybe youre right, but Id like to give a little more credit to a persons humanity before outright dismissing someone cares that they indirectly drove someone to suicide.

In this country, when you divulge information like the staff did, you are breaking multiple privacy laws. If the DJ knew this (and I'm assuming he did) and went through with the childish prank regardless, then he's a dirtbag. He willingly worked to get someone to do something that would, at very least, lead to disciplinary action.

[MatticusMania]

Originally Posted by Relic

I dunno....I'm not so sure that I fully agree. My guess would be that you're absolutely right about there probably being some sort of instability there, but given the publicity of the prank.. I couldn't say that for sure TBH. The feeling of humiliation may have been a wee bit more than just a "screw up at work" sorta thing. It's not out of the realm of possibility that the public embarrassment and humiliation were what caused the instability..? (or depression, or whatever it can be called)

I guess it's sort of a chicken vs the egg argument

As I was saying, its not a "no big deal" situation, but I dont really find it that humiliating. So someone called on the phone pretending they were the Queen and this person fell for it. Id hardly called that humiliating. Is it embarrassing... yeah, a little. Would there have been repercussions, yeah. Is it a life ending type of event? I wouldnt call it that. I just dont think a mentally stable person would be driven to end their life over it.

[bassguppy]

The Facebook page of the radio station where te DJ's are employed is getting inundated with hate

[MatticusMania]

Originally Posted by Eric Perry

In this country, when you divulge information like the staff did, you are breaking multiple privacy laws. If the DJ knew this (and I'm assuming he did) and went through with the childish prank regardless, then he's a dirtbag. He willingly worked to get someone to do something that would, at very least, lead to disciplinary action.

Yeah, but you are assuming they DJ knew this. Maybe he did, but maybe he didnt. Perhaps he was expecting them to realize it was a joke and hang up? I dont know if thats the case, but youre putting someone down based on your own assumption.

[Eric Perry]

Originally Posted by MatticusMania

Yeah, but you are assuming they DJ knew this. Maybe he did, but maybe he didnt. Perhaps he was expecting them to realize it was a joke and hang up? I dont know if thats the case, but youre putting someone down based on your own assumption.

If he didn't know (which I highly doubt), then I'd retract my statement. He was just as able to hang up if the prank went too far. He didn't.

Someone is dead because of a mindless prank. I think putting the DJ on the hot seat is rather appropriate considering it sounds like his actions indirectly contributed to someone's death.

[DwaynieAD]

Originally Posted by Eric Perry

If he didn't know (which I highly doubt), then I'd retract my statement. He was just as able to hang up if the prank went too far. He didn't.

Someone is dead because of a mindless prank. I think putting the DJ on the hot seat is rather appropriate considering it sounds like his actions indirectly contributed to someone's death.

you don't know that's why she killed herself, infact i've yet to see a report the definitively says she killed her self. they've been saying "it appears that she killed herself"

if she did kill herself over this then yes it is sad and yes put the DJ on the hotseat, but, as matticus said, I can't see a mentally stable person offing themselves over something like that.

[Relic]

Originally Posted by MatticusMania

As I was saying, its not a "no big deal" situation, but I dont really find it that humiliating. So someone called on the phone pretending they were the Queen and this person fell for it. Id hardly called that humiliating. Is it embarrassing... yeah, a little. Would there have been repercussions, yeah. Is it a life ending type of event? I wouldnt call it that. I just dont think a mentally stable person would be driven to end their life over it.

I'm not really focusing on the event itself though - I'm focusing on the media coverage and notoriety (if you can call it that). That's a little bit more than you or I face in our day to day routine, possibly hers as well so it would be hard for us to gauge how that might feel. It may have been just a little too much...?
In her mind, it may have been a life-changing event, who knows. I would agree though - occam's razor and all that she was probably suffering from something prior but still...you never know.

[Relic]

Originally Posted by Eric Perry

If he didn't know (which I highly doubt), then I'd retract my statement. He was just as able to hang up if the prank went too far. He didn't.

Someone is dead because of a mindless prank. I think putting the DJ on the hot seat is rather appropriate considering it sounds like his actions indirectly contributed to someone's death.

Not that it changes anything really but I do recall reading (if I'm not getting this detail wrong too!!) that the DJ's had their attorneys vet the convo before airing it.

[MatticusMania]

Originally Posted by Relic

I'm not really focusing on the event itself though - I'm focusing on the media coverage and notoriety (if you can call it that). That's a little bit more than you or I face in our day to day routine, possibly hers as well so it would be hard for us to gauge how that might feel. It may have been just a little too much...?

Youre right. Not being in the situation, it would be hard to gauge how you or I (or another) might feel. I can guarantee it wouldnt lead to me ending my life, but I cant really say the same for anyone else. It just doesnt seem like its really that heavy of an event to me, though. Perhaps Im humble enough to deal with a bit of humiliation.

[Lonesomedave]

Originally Posted by Relic

Not that it changes anything really but I do recall reading (if I'm not getting this detail wrong too!!) that the DJ's had their attorneys vet the convo before airing it.

hmmmmmm........ i don't know, but to me, that makes it WORSE!

they obviously knew they were engaging in (at best) borderline behavior & so they get their attornies to sign off on it.

they obviously didn't know it would have this consequence, but why do it in the first place?

hey, if it's good for me (for ratings or any other reason) & i can get away with it, s**ew the rest of "em

[SoonerMatt]

Originally Posted by Eric Perry

If he didn't know (which I highly doubt), then I'd retract my statement. He was just as able to hang up if the prank went too far. He didn't.

Someone is dead because of a mindless prank. I think putting the DJ on the hot seat is rather appropriate considering it sounds like his actions indirectly contributed to someone's death.

I don't know how it works in the UK or Australia, but in the US pretending to be someone you're not in order to access medical information is fraud and a felony offense. If this were in the US they'd be in handcuffs for that alone.

[Balog]

Originally Posted by Eric Perry

If he didn't know (which I highly doubt), then I'd retract my statement. He was just as able to hang up if the prank went too far. He didn't.

Someone is dead because of a mindless prank. I think putting the DJ on the hot seat is rather appropriate considering it sounds like his actions indirectly contributed to someone's death.

Someone is dead because they chose to commit suicide. No matter what brought that on, the responsibility for her actions fall at the feet of the young lady who made the choice, no one else.

[yodedude2]

Originally Posted by SoonerMatt

I don't know how it works in the UK or Australia, but in the US pretending to be someone you're not in order to access medical information is fraud...

beat me to it. why would anyone refer to the dj's actions as a prank? i see it as fraud and a crime.

[Lonesomedave]

Originally Posted by Balog

Someone is dead because they chose to commit suicide. No matter what brought that on, the responsibility for her actions fall at the feet of the young lady who made the choice, no one else.

interesting aspect of the concept of "free will"...while i basically tend to agree with you, let me be devil's advocate for a minute.

Depending upon the circumstances and the egregiousness of those who "caused all of this" (i know, i know...you have already said the she caused her own death...but humor me for a minute)....one can take the concept of free will too far.

what if the two DJ's had been bank robbers, and they went in and handed her a robbery note, and she handed over the money.

the bank, then, decides to prosecute HER on the theory that she & she alone decided to hand over the money...she didn't have to do that. she could have said no.

[hbarcat]

Originally Posted by Eric Perry

In this country, when you divulge information like the staff did, you are breaking multiple privacy laws. If the DJ knew this (and I'm assuming he did) and went through with the childish prank regardless, then he's a dirtbag. He willingly worked to get someone to do something that would, at very least, lead to disciplinary action.

You are absolutely correct about U.S. law (maybe someone can tell us what Australia law says). A patient's medical information can normally only be divulged to immediate family members. If the DJ's misrepresented themselves as family members in order to deceive hospital staff, this may be more than just a "prank" from a legal standpoint.



From the article:
In the Tuesday morning prank call, information about the duchess' condition was released by a nurse to Greig and Christian when they pretended to be Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles looking to speak to Middleton, who was being treated at the hospital for acute nausea related to her pregnancy.

[spade2you]

Originally Posted by hbarcat

You are absolutely correct about U.S. law (maybe someone can tell us what Australia law says). A patient's medical information can normally only be divulged to immediate family members. If the DJ's misrepresented themselves as family members in order to deceive hospital staff, this may be more than just a "prank" from a legal standpoint.



From the article:
In the Tuesday morning prank call, information about the duchess' condition was released by a nurse to Greig and Christian when they pretended to be Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles looking to speak to Middleton, who was being treated at the hospital for acute nausea related to her pregnancy.

I agree. They called her. She didn't just call them and hand them info.

It's rare that I have to communicate health information to outside institutions. My role is strictly medication specific and often quite boring. I'd hate to be put in this sort of scenario.

[Relic]

Originally Posted by Lonesomedave

interesting aspect of the concept of "free will"...while i basically tend to agree with you, let me be devil's advocate for a minute.

Depending upon the circumstances and the egregiousness of those who "caused all of this" (i know, i know...you have already said the she caused her own death...but humor me for a minute)....one can take the concept of free will too far.

what if the two DJ's had been bank robbers, and they went in and handed her a robbery note, and she handed over the money.

the bank, then, decides to prosecute HER on the theory that she & she alone decided to hand over the money...she didn't have to do that. she could have said no.

The weird thing for me personally is that I'm really wrestling with blaming the DJ's... I actually really want to but..

Logically, sure they didn't do this, she did. And with that said, possibly anything could have done this.. we have no clue what was going on in her life. Seems unlikely but the DJ's call might not have had anything to do with it for all we know.
but damn...I want blood Kind of an odd logical vs emotional response on my part.

[Downunderwonder]

International callers probably don't fall subject to laws in either country. I'd extradite the pricks.

A couple of TV pranksters got in real hot water for trying to dress up as pilots and get onto the tarmac at Auckland International. A bridge too far. They had infiltrated all kinds of places with a sense of humour about it. Aviation Security arrested them and they were prosecuted.

[Balog]

Originally Posted by Lonesomedave

interesting aspect of the concept of "free will"...while i basically tend to agree with you, let me be devil's advocate for a minute.

Depending upon the circumstances and the egregiousness of those who "caused all of this" (i know, i know...you have already said the she caused her own death...but humor me for a minute)....one can take the concept of free will too far.

what if the two DJ's had been bank robbers, and they went in and handed her a robbery note, and she handed over the money.

the bank, then, decides to prosecute HER on the theory that she & she alone decided to hand over the money...she didn't have to do that. she could have said no.

That's not really a good analogy, but I don't want to get into a semantic fight over it.

No matter what the outside forces that brought her to that state, she still made a choice. And that is an important distinction to make, especially for folks who might be feeling suicidal. One of the ways I have seen that folks contemplating suicide use to justify the pain it will cause to their friends and family is the idea that the have no choice, that it is being forced on them. It's an unhealthy concept, and can be very deadly.