Hoax Radio DJs In SafeHouses, Death Threats After Jacintha Saldanha Nurse Suicide
Staff at the radio station responsible for the hoax call about Kate Middleton, which ultimately led to the alleged suicide of nurse Jacintha Saldanha, have been moved to safehouses, according to a report.
Managers at Sydney, Australia's radio station 2Day FM have also recruited 24-hour bodyguards to protect employees.
DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian called King Edward VII hospital in London on Dec. 4, where the Duchess of Cambridge was being treated for morning sickness, a reported result of her recently confirmed pregnancy. Greig and Christian put on fake British accents and impersonated the Queen and Prince Charles, asking about Middleton's condition.
Their phone call was apparently answered by nurse Jacintha Saldanha, 46, who transferred the call then to another nurse. The second nurse, who believed she was talking to members of the royal family, relayed details about Middleton's health status. The radio station hosts later replayed the call on air and raved about it on Twitter.
Saldanha's body was discovered Friday morning in the nurses' quarters nearby the hospital.
Police launched an investigation due to the radio staff receiving death threats, according to Yahoo! 7 News. One letter in specific targeted Christian and said there were "bullets out there with your (Christian's) name on," along with further threats involving a gun.
Southern Cross Austereo, the media company that owns the 2Day FM, announced Monday that the two DJs will stay off the air "until further notice," their Hot30 show has been canceled and prank calls are banned across the company.
That same Monday, Dec. 10, Greig and Christian apologized on Australian TV for their hoax phone call.
"I have thought about this a million times in my head, that I just wanted to reach out to (Saldanha's family) and just give them a big hug and say sorry," Greig told Australia's Nine News. "The thought we may have played a part in (Saldhana's death) is gut-wrenching."
He added that he was "shattered" and "heartbroken."
