I agree with you on this. I listened to the PM programme on Radio 4 that day, they had a bit of a laugh about it but it was NOT the main story of the day. Then I looked at the Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail and couldn't believe what a no-joke big deal they were talking it up to be. Yes, a pity Prince William didn't publicly say he wasn't bothered by it, but who knew this would happen. Very very sad..

I've heard it all now, it isnt the fault of the gutter DJ's it is down to the British media.

I have blamed the DJs, but they could not possibly predict that the British press would respond in this way to such a non-event. They misjudged the way right-wing Brits defend the royals, who can do no wrong in their eyes.

Those saying these two are responsible for this nurse's death are reprehensible bastards.

I agree. Clearly this lady had other issues going on, but the prank was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. Why did no one intervene earlier on and help her?

Where was the so-called 'cavalry' for all the time the lady was clearly suffering? Most rational people don't just commit suicide because of a prank call.

It's being speculated that she must have been given a right roasting by the hospital for her lapse in judgement and on reflection I can't see why they wouldn't do this because of their reputation as a discrete place for the royals, etc.

Obviously they're not going to say in a public statement: "We failed the nurse in question by not providing proper security and the day before she killed herself we severely reprimanded her and threatened her job."

Are they now?? So they accuse the Australian DJs of her suicide which in my view, before a post-mortem, is slanderous.

While I think the prank call was wrong, I don't agree that the DJs should be demonized and blamed for the woman's death. That simply isn't fair and the reality is that nobody commits suicide over a prank call.

Agree with your point that the hospital probably gave her some kind of warning or even made her fear for her job. As a result, the DJs are being used as scapegoats and support is there from the pro-royal brigade.

The whole thing is sickening actually. Millions of people suffer from mental illnesses, but it largely goes unnoticed, even when such people take their own lives. Where's the outrage for those people?

+1

Clearly, they do. You have no idea about this woman's moral code, passion for her job, personal feelings of responsibility, or anything else, levels of humiliation etc.

None of us know her state of mind prior to this, she could well have have mental health issues, but we don't know that. She could well have been very mentally healthy and stable, until this prank.

People who are in good mental health when faced with a shock like this actually don't know how to handle depression as well as a person who has previously experienced depression. So it could be that she was a perfectly happy and mentally stable person slammed with downturn that she'd never had to deal with before, faced with the lowest low, she dealt with it. In a very tragic manner.

Doubt they would have had someone with mental health problems (known ones, anyway) working closely with royals. I take your other points though.

She was in the hospital and answered the phone, and transferred the call to the correct department.

Having depression (a mental health issue) does not preclude someone from being a nurse, or doing their job extremely well. Churchill had his "Black dog", and ran the country.

I'm saying that we don't know if she was depressed before this event or not.

So noone can say that people don't commit suicide over this sort of prank if they're mentally healthy.
We don't know. We shouldn't speculate.

So you're saying that depressed people are screened before working in a hospital where the royals are treated?

Do you class depression as a mental health issue? (BTW, depression, drug and alcohol addiction are all technically mental health issues)
and if you listen to gossip and rumour, Prince Phillip should be allowed anywhere near himself

Decided to un-ignore both you & Cuthbert..

I guess we can continue to speculate, but my own opinion is that this was the straw that broke the camel'a back. So it's not impossible that this was the sole reason for her suicide, but I suspect that it was highly unlikely.

I would also say that a "normal" person is far more equipped to deal with such things than someone with pre-existing depression. Depression makes seemingly simple odds very difficult or impossible to overcome.

So I suspect that she wasn't having the best of times prior to the prank (which I do think was stupid, but I don't believe the DJs should be held responsible for the woman's death). Lots of people commit suicide and usually, no one gives a damn, except for the family of the deceased whose lives are placed in turmoil.

How magnanimous of you {rolls eyes}

There's still a lot of stigma regarding mental illness, even to this day. Perhaps she was worried about losing her job, which was the straw that broke the camel's back?

Either way, the DJs were not responsible for her death, as crass as they are. Blame the system, blame the hospital even. Lots of people commit suicide, but they never get any kind of coverage or sympathy. Perhaps many suicides are "triggered" by events like this...a final straw that breaks the camel's back?

Consider it an early Christmas present.