Kate Middleton

[GreyhoundsRUs]

Suicide is a multi-layered issue. The only person "responsible" for it is by definition the person doing the act. However, that doesn't entirely absolve culpability of others who may have contributed additional or undue stressors.

Really, it doesn't matter. I just hope pranks like the kind perpetrated in this instance are fewer and further between. They're moronic and annoying.

I 100% agree that the pranks are annoying and dumb - "Jerky Boys"? Hate them. They make my skin crawl. However, I don't really know about placing any type of responsibility on the DJs. I mean, should we pussy-foot around people on the slim chance that they might be suicidal? As we all know, there are suicidal people who appear to have all their shit together. I had a HS classmate (who then went to college with DH) who, from the outside had everything - supportive parents, awesome education, good job, handsome, super smart, etc. He set up a gas chamber in his bathroom and killed himself. I don't know where to place the blame in situations like that...maybe we should just grieve the loss of a good person.

[corn poffi]

I think the reason I want them to be responsible is so that morning DJs everywhere would be released from their duties (wishful thinking). Morning radio garbage is probably the lowest form of entertainment. I mean, think about this stupid prank. Who would have found that amusing anyway? Where do these idiots come from?

I just see it as a form of bullying. They try to make other people look dumb in front of a large audience. I don't think it's all that different from other bullying deaths that everybody finds so much more tragic (maybe because kids are involved?).

The royal obsession is out of control...

[Chrisada]

I will agree that the royal obsession is out of control and strange. The in depth knowledge some people seem to have about them is just plain weird.

[Sheherezade]

I'm with Kelly as well. I'm not a fan of morning radio, either - but I think the way to get rid of that is to just not listen. Frankly, I'd think with Pandora, Xirius, etc. that media is dying anyway. I don't give it long.

The death is tragic but I can't imagine killing myself over that so it's hard to blame the shock jocks. School bullying seems different to me because it's ongoing and kids are forced to attend every day. I can see how eventually that would put you in a dark place.

[diggitydot]

I certainly don't hold the DJ's 100% responsible for the death, but I do see their behavior as a likely contributing factor. The possibility of lawsuits stemming from prank-adjacent deaths should scare their parent corporations enough to scale back some of the more idiotic behaviors. Kind of like when they used to have water drinking contests until people died of acute water intoxication. The dumbasses running these things didn't realize people could die from consuming too much water too quickly.

[Chrisada]

I wonder if there are legal ramifications for impersonating a family member to get medical information. I think the whole obtaining medical information makes this a little different from other prank calls. All though they did apparently run it by legal before they aired it. IDK.

[Cinderella]

The radio station feels pretty confident they didn't violate any laws. The hospitals said that the radio station may have violated some laws. If their laws are like our laws here they didn't violate anything because the Royals are public figures and not private citizens. So they can be made fun of an impersonated and the liability is on the hospital for giving out private information. This type of joke is pretty common practice to impersonate a public figure. There wasn't any malicious intent. They expected to be hung up on because of their terrible accents, and they certainly couldn't have foreseen this kind of tragic outcome. Because of the backlash some of the sponsors of the show have announced they're withdrawing their sponsorship immediately from the station. The DJs have mutually agreed to go on a leave of absence. They're probably under contract so they can't just be let go of without a payout. Plus their bosses are probably trying to appease the sponsors and let the public outcry die down until more information comes out. I don't think anybody's ever been prosecuted for someone else committing suicide. Does anyone know of a case like that? Otherwise, I don't think there is anything that can be done about it.

Scotland yard is investigating the death but I don't think it's from a criminal stand point. Rather a cover all their bases stand point. This is their public statement:

"I have to stress the London Metropolitan Police have not actually asked for any action to be taken at this stage they simply wanted to touch base, raise the issues make us aware of them and it may be that they may wish to speak to someone at the station at a point in time down the track, but that hasn't happened yet and they haven't actually asked us to do anything at this stage."

I think if there will be any kind of legal case out of this it would be between the hospital to the parent company of the radio station, and or between the family of the nurse and parent company of the radio station, and possibly but not likely between the family of the nurse and the hospital. The lawsuit may include the name of the DJs.

The royal family aren't really involved in the situation. They are used to these kinds of pranks and people impersonating them. Prince Charles even joked with the press about it before the news of the death broke saying, "How do you know I'm not a radio station?" They are more than capable of handling this kind of situation directed towards them, but it's unfortunate that others had to be caught in the cross fire.

I wonder why the royal family doesn't get some kind of private home nurse to look after Kate if this acute morning sickness is going to go on. They have more than enough money and their own private royal doctors for this kind of royal birth situation. Why involve a public hospital at all in the future and upset the daily business of it? It's certainly extenuating circumstances that would call for it. People get home health care all the time.

Has anyone noticed any changes at their hospitals regarding procedures of giving out their patients information after this? I always wondered about something like this happening because we couldn't verify who was on the phone. At my old hospital it depended on the patient and if they wanted certain authorized people to get their information or not. Some patients wanted to be anonymous and so we'd be alerted to that with a triple XXX by their their name and deny they were even there if people called looking for them. If they authorized us to give out information to friends and family anyone could call and ask about them. I guess they could do like my bank does and asked for a security word to be able to give out information about your account. They could instate that only authorized family members with the security word could get information on the patient as a double protection from jokers like these DJs making prank calls.

[diggitydot]

If their laws were anything like ours, they would have violated patient privacy laws six ways come Sunday just by acknowledging that she was even a patient, much less by giving out any information about her condition to an unconfirmed party. I think whether UK patient privacy laws are anything like ours is immaterial, though. You shouldn't need a federal law to know that it's probably not your best idea to impersonate royalty and ask about the personal health status of another famous public figure.

How long ago did you work in a hospital? My guess is before HIPAA because I don't know a single medical facility since it was passed that will give out ANY information without explicit written permission from the patient. My mom was a nurse at my old doctor's office and they wouldn't even give HER any information about me until after I signed a permission form.

Regardless of whether any laws (either Brit or Aussie) were broken doesn't make any difference, to me. The DJs STILL behaved like immature dipshits. Nothing is going to change that aspect of the situation. "Oh, it's legal so it's totally OK that they're complete fucking assholes," isn't the thought process most people have when someone behaves like a complete fucking asshole.

[Cinderella]

Just found out the kids are teenagers but they're concealing their identity for now. They aren't little like I had thought before.

I worked in the hospital until 2005 and went through the change in HIPPA regulations. We had to inform patients of the new HIPPA laws and they had a choice how they wanted their information dealt with concerning friends and family so often times we'd have them sign a wavier. Otherwise we could only confirm they were admitted and what unit they were in for visitors.

According to media laws the DJs didn't violate anything by impersonating a public figure and playing a prank. Otherwise these kinds of pranks wouldn't be happening on a daily basis. According to patient privacy laws that liability is entirely on the hospital.

[Pollyanna]

Am I the only one wondering why she wasn't treated at home? This is the Royal family for goodness sake, couldn't they have set up fluids for her at home with round the clock nursing?

[Cinderella]

Am I the only one wondering why she wasn't treated at home? This is the Royal family for goodness sake, couldn't they have set up fluids for her at home with round the clock nursing?

You're not alone Pollyanna. I said something similar two posts up. I think given the circumstance Kate should have someone to look after her in the comfort of her own home. However, when Prince Phillip the Queen's husband took ill several times since last Christmas he stayed at the same hospital.

I wonder why the royal family doesn't get some kind of private home nurse to look after Kate if this acute morning sickness is going to go on. They have more than enough money and their own private royal doctors for this kind of royal birth situation. Why involve a public hospital at all in the future and upset the daily business of it? It's certainly extenuating circumstances that would call for it. People get home health care all the time.

[diggitydot]

It's apparently against Australian laws to record convos without the other party's knowledge. So they did break their own laws, but I still think it's immaterial. People break laws every day, all over the world. That doesn't mean they should or that other people's poor behavior is a valid excuse for their own.

[Cinderella]

It's apparently against Australian laws to record convos without the other party's knowledge. So they did break their own laws, but I still think it's immaterial. People break laws every day, all over the world. That doesn't mean they should or that other people's poor behavior is a valid excuse for their own.

If that's the case then they might have them there. Though I'm suspecting since they're in different countries there's going to be some jumping through hoops such as the hospital acquiring representation in Australia in order to prosecute. They'd have to weigh the value of it. Unless there is a similar law applied in the UK. I was wondering why this morning the radio legal reps were saying they did try five time to contact the hospital and inform them ahead of time before making the prank phone call.

[diggitydot]

International legalities aside, the DJs pulled a moronic, childish prank. Period. I'm GLAD they and their parent company are experiencing some backlash against the behavior.

[Meenah]

I have to admit that when I heard the story (obviously before the suicide) I thought it was funny. I did say to DH that I wouldn't want to be that nurse. Walking away in shame.