To feel sorry for the Australian DJs?

[andapartridgeinaRowantree]

Obviously more sorry for the nurse's family. I wonder how long she was having suicidal thoughts for? I can't think this could have been the only cause,

But these pranks have been going on for such a long time and those DJs could not have predicted such a result and are going to have to live with it for the rest of their lives.

It's such a tragedy and I feel very sad for all concerned.

I'm more concerned with the fact that Jacibtha's family have received no offers of counselling or support (heard on news this morning). Makes me question how much pressure the hospital put her under for what happened, and how supportive they can be considered to be.

Be quiet panda before I say something I won't regret.

It is a sad situation- lessons have been learned( very hard ones for some people) and a line needs to be drawn under it now.

Oh behave yourself, Everlong. I know you've been affected by suicide (as many others have, myself included) but you're taking this way too far.

Janeatthebarre: "I still think the DJs deserve sympathy for what they're now going through because of a few minutes of stupid thoughtlessness and some very silly and ill judged boasting about it afterwards. Lose their jobs... fair enough. But to feel responsible for the death of a woman is a life sentence and that is dreadful for them."

Yes. I agree. They could never have predicted this - and I notice that none of the people getting so angry about it predicted it either. I have seen far crueller practical jokes in the media than this - this was mostly a piece of silliness.

How ironic that the people who are are accusing the DJs of lacking humanity are so incapable of showing a little bit of humanity to them, given what they must now be going through.

I'm taking this way too far. Really.

Well I suppose that's my prerogative. You defend them. I couldn't care less.

And if you'd had a child die by suicide you would not be defending them.

So zip it with your fucking, nasty insensitive words to me.

Settle yourself. I'm not being nasty, I'm stating my position without getting hysterical or resorting to swearing. I think (understandably) you're taking this situation worse/more personally than normal and seem eager for retribution/revenge/blood which will solve what, exactly? Will it benefit Jacintha's family in any way? Will it tighten security procedures at the hospital? Will it make you happy?

Like I said before, I'm more angry that her family have been offered no counselling or assistance from the hospital, her place of work.

One of the things we teach our children is that actions have consequences. Those DJs have well and truly learnt that lesson now. Can only assume they hadn't, truly, before.

This whole thing will have been a veritable adrenalin shot of empathy and what that means, for both of them, which can only be a good thing. Maybe they might be more willing to put themselves in others' shoes, in the future.

A line should be drawn under it now.

Given the threads and hounding of the nurses on forums and the media, that this thread is still running in the same vein is really tasteless under the circumstances. Don't have much sympathy for the DJ's and think karma is biting them on the bum big time but this hysteria and anger is wrongly directed at only two people who probably didn't even control that it was broadcast. the DJ's are being hung out to dry and their managers and lawyers, the media and everyone else who was so vocal and critical are breathing a big sigh or relief that they have their two scapegoats.

Settle myself?
There are many posters whose child hasn't killed themselves and feel no empathy. Quite cruel to pick me out.

I'm more concerned with the fact that Jacibtha's family have received no offers of counselling or support (heard on news this morning). Makes me question how much pressure the hospital put her under for what happened, and how supportive they can be considered to be.

Agreed. At the very least I would expect the hospital to be footing the bill for family to stay in a hotel away from the prying eyes of the media camped on their doorstep. Hospital shouldn't have to be shamed into offering support.

In the shorter term, I hope the radio station will be paying for repatriation of JS and funeral costs.

Hospital have behaved in a very shady way throughout. More to come on this I expect.

I wouldn't be surprised if some of the nurses had ganged up on J in support of the other nurse she put the call through to.

Everlong, I responded to your posts because you're the one shouting the loudest in the more recent posts against the DJs. That is all. Empathy is a good thing. I can empathise with why you're so affected by this, but I can also empathise with the DJ's, who thought the call would be a run-off-the-mill radio prank, and had no idea of the consequences. Mostly, though, I feel sympathy for Jacintha's family and hope they get the peace and support they deserve.

I was shouting the loudest!?

Good. Some fuckers got to.

"One of the things we teach our children is that actions have consequences. Those DJs have well and truly learnt that lesson now. Can only assume they hadn't, truly, before."

There are consequences that can be anticipated and consequences that can't. Even the most thorough risk assessment couldn't possibly have foreseen this awful thing.

Maybe, but bullying does have consequences, and one person's prank call is another person's bullying.

My gripe is with the managers and lawyers who allowed this to be broadcast. To not realise that someone might get in deep shit over this was deeply disingenuous.

I agree with Nancy's point, too. But, as said before, a line should be drawn under it. Leaving the thread now.

seeker: "There are consequences that can be anticipated and consequences that can't. Even the most thorough risk assessment couldn't possibly have foreseen this awful thing."

Agreed, Seeker. And you know, actions don't always have consequences. Look at some of the stuff Sacha Baron Cohen does - immensely cruel and hurtful. And yet what have the consequences been for him except that he's now extremely rich and famous? These DJs are small fry in comparison but they're attracting levels of vitriol that SBC has never faced.

If people had talked about the cruelty of the hoax, or talked about the mental health consequences for the nurse before she killed herself, I might have more respect for their position. But they didn't. They are being wise after the event.

I find that I cannot feel sorry for the DJs, I've tried, but I just cannot get past the issue that they thought a prank call to a HOSPITAL would be acceptable. I just can't.

I hate the pranking / practical joking / ritual humiliation culture we seem to live in, but calling a HOSPITAL - no matter who the call was aimed at/taken by is just WRONG.

I fully accept that they never meant for something so terrible to happen, but what if someting "just a little bit terrible" happened? What if Jacintha hadn't taken her life, but was sacked or quit in humiliation? What then? They have to bear some responsibility here - and I do not feel they are doing that. I think their interviews were very self pitying.

I feel a great deal of anger towards the managers/lawyers who allowed this, and have allowed their DJs to become scapegoats. They should absolutely bear responsibility here.

I feel some anger towards the hospital, who should have had a dedicated receptionist following security protocols in place at all times - if they are too stingy to ensure the desk is covered 24hrs then what are its clientel paying for? Private hospitals should not be suffering from public service cuts - there is no excuse.

I feel nothing but sympathy for Jacintha and her family. They are the only ones who should bear NO responsibility for what has happened - and yet they are the victims in all this.

The hospital has set up a memorial fund: www.kingedwardvii.co.uk/lib/Jacintha%20Saldanha%20Memorial%20Fund%20Information.pdf

There are bank details here so people can donate directly. The money goes to support Jacintha's family.

What is the good of apportioning 'responsibilty'? It doesn't serve any purpose. It's possible to feel sympathy for a lot of people in this situation; sympathy isn't on ration.

The fund is an excellent idea.

It must be so lovely to be generous with your sympathy.

The family of Jacintha will not care about funds or donations. And your naive to believe they will.

It won't even register. They are in utter hell.

The Djs are culpable.
Their senior management even more so.

I've read the transcript of their 'apologies'. They repeat "no-one could have predicted this outcome" dozens of times, clearly having been coached by lawyers to say as much.

Well, actually, they could have predicted this. The prank was either
a. going to fail, and they would be hung up on...this is what they claim they expected.
or b. succeed in fooling the nurses, causing them to treat the call in good faith and subsequently humiliating themselves, breaching security protocols and breaking confidential medical information to the wrong people.

Fair to assume that they could have predicted it would wither a.fail or b. succeed, since they are the only two options.

Given that it did succeed and they started receiving the confidential information, having tricked the nurses, did they ...

-hang up quickly, thinking OMG what did we just do? Have we just tricked some medical professionals, caused an embarrassing security breach and found out personal medical information we shouldn't know? Quick - delete the tape?
or
-gloat and crow about this being the highlight of their careers, pass the tape on to their seniors, and not give a thought to how the PEOPLE they just tricked would feel, and what might happen to them and their jobs as a result?

I'd like to know this of the DJs: What DID you think the nurses and Kate would feel as a result of what you did? How do you expect a globally humiliated nurse to react when her professional error of judgement (which could feasibly have cost her a job) is broadcast around the world?

I can't imagine anything but devastation, myself.

Everlong what exactly are you looking for? No one could possibly, possibly, have foreseen that the poor woman would commit suicide. It is a terrible tragedy but it is not something that was deliberately caused by the people involved in this stupid prank and radio broadcast.
We all sympathise enormously with Jacintha's family and most of us would agree that the people responsible for the phone call and broadcast should feel horrified at the unintented outcome of their thoughtless action.
But it also needs to be borne in mind that it was totally unintended and impossible to foresee. Villifying them on the internet in such a bitter way is not going to help anyone. I understand, as I said before, that you are coming from a particularly dark place on this, but sometimes that makes it hard for us to think rationally about a particular subject.

Why do people think it's ok to keep highlighting me?

I am not the only one on any of the many threads regarding this who have no empathy for the dj's.

Why do you think it's ok?

I am as entitled to an opinion as the rest of you. It's just that my experience let's me have a bit more insight to how the family will be feeling.

I highlighted you because there seems to be just no satisfying you on this. Even the fact that the radio station are trying to make some apology by setting up a fund was met with a totally negative response. Also, some of your recent posts to Panda have been quite agressive.

I know you have had direct and very tragic experience of suicide. But it really doesn't give you the right to shout everyone else down, curse and swear at people who disagree with you and insist that anyone even indirectly involved in a suicide incident is totally responsible and should be treated almost like a murderer.