Who is at Fault in the Suicide of the Nurse Who Was Pranked in the U.K.?
Should the Australian DJs who executed the prank on the hospital staff be held responsible or is it just a tragic response that nobody could have anticipated?
A prank in the U.K. involving Kate Middleton, the pregnant wife of Prince William, took a tragic turn when one of the nurses who was hoaxed died on Friday. According to reports, it is believed she took her own life.
The prank occurred earlier in the week when two Australian DJs phoned the hospital pretending to be the queen and asking about Middleton's condition. Two of the nurses are believed to have fallen for the prank, one who passed the caller through to the nurses station and a second nurse who gave out personal information over the Australian airwaves. It was the nurse who passed the caller on who is now dead.
According to TMZ, the two Australian DJs have removed themselves from the airwaves and the company that owns the station has reportedly said that the two DJs are "deeply saddened by the tragic news."
The twitter feeds blew up with a barrage of criticism of the DJs for the prank and blame for the death of the nurse. She left behind a husband and two children.
What do you think? Should the DJs be fired? Does the family of the nurse who died have the right to sue them for damages? Or should they not be held responsible for something someone else does in response to a prank?
Paulette Webb
10:07 am on Saturday, December 8, 2012
I've never been a fan of practical jokes, as I think they are cruel and demeaning to the person on the other end. It's obvious that the nurse who committed suicide was very fragile, something the DJ's could not have known. I think the DJ's should be held accountable for the practical joke and maybe suspended for awhile from their jobs, but to blame them for a death? That's going a little too far.
Crystal Huskey
7:35 pm on Saturday, December 8, 2012
I agree with you about practical jokes.
Tammy Osier
10:12 am on Saturday, December 8, 2012
Pranking and joking around is meant for family and friends that you know, not strangers. I come a from a family of pranksters, and we only dish it out to those who like to dish it out themselves- therefore, we know they can take it. I'd be afraid to prank somone I didn't know. This is very tragic.
ED CARR
10:15 am on Saturday, December 8, 2012
The DJ's indirectly caused the death. They did not know the death would occur, but It would not have occurred as it did had they not pulled the prank. Of course, I agree, the nurse was unstable/fragile.
KATRENA JEFFRIES
11:44 am on Saturday, December 8, 2012
I agree w/above comments. Suicide is a personal decision and even close family members don't know what will push someone over the edge.
Having said that we need stricter laws (or larger settlements) to make the media respect the privacy of others. If the royals wanted this info disseminated, they would have let it be given, No one has the right to impersonate another person and obtain private information. They should be punished in someway and this should be a case that lets other media know they can't act with impunity
Nancy Sistrant
4:16 pm on Saturday, December 8, 2012
The fault is her own.
These shock jocks were doing their job. It was a harmless prank and they shouldn't be held responsible in the least. They simply did what anyone on the radio would do to help ratings.
Robert Hanson
5:13 pm on Saturday, December 8, 2012
Harmless prank? Obviously not - someone's dead! I think the DJ's should be held responsible for their actions. Someone is dead because of their actions. Someone needs to do some time, here. A lot of time. Maybe that will break them of the habit of playing "harmless" practical jokes.
"Harmless" my a--!
Chris
8:47 am on Sunday, December 9, 2012
What a genius. Sounds like you think from your a--!
ED CARR
9:32 am on Sunday, December 9, 2012
HARMLESS ?
Amy Jellicoe
5:07 pm on Saturday, December 8, 2012
The radio DJ's are as much to blame as the pregnant Kate Middleton. My guess is this nurse is not accustomed to failure. Even though most normal people wouldn't view what happened to her as failure, it's clear it was devastating to her. I'm quite certain if this didn't happen, her fate would have been the same. Life would have gone on, and her sense of hopelessness for another situation would have occurred, and she would have taken her own life. That wasn't even a funny prank. I enjoy a good prank like calling two take-out restaurants, ordering stuff, and then put them on three-way so you split your sides with the confusion on the phone.
Tammy Osier
8:19 am on Sunday, December 9, 2012
Back in the day, we had Candid Camera. In the 80's we had Roy D. Mercer. But these were shows where in the end, you found out that you had been on camera and if I'm correct, research was done beforehand (well, except for Roy, I'm sure) to find good "victims". I think that radio show just didn't do a lot of forward thinking or it was just unfortunate. I'd be a little nervous if I felt I had done something inappropriate towards the Queen of England. It was a bit over the top.
David Binder
8:27 am on Sunday, December 9, 2012
It's definitely a sad turn of events. Pranks & practical jokes can indeed be hurtful. But I think it's obvious that she already had issues going on. It's just a shame that this actually pushed her over the edge.
Denna Millard
8:37 am on Sunday, December 9, 2012
I do not believe the DJ's are responsible for the nurse's death. I do believe they should be punished in some way and definitely write letters of apology to all concerned.
ED CARR
9:33 am on Sunday, December 9, 2012
Write a letter to the nurse???
Crystal Huskey
10:56 am on Monday, December 10, 2012
Here is an interview with the two DJs involved. http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/10/world/europe/uk-royal-hospital-death/index.html?hpt=hp_t1