Nurse who died after Kate hoax call was from India

A nurse found dead days after she took a crank call about the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge was originally from India, British police said Saturday, as details began to trickle out about the woman whose death has sparked anger at the Australian radio DJs behind the hoax.

Jacintha Saldanha, 46, was found dead early Friday at nurses' housing provided by London's King Edward VII hospital, where Prince William's wife, the former Kate Middleton, was being treated for acute morning sickness this week.

Police released a grainy photo of Saldanha on Saturday. She had lived in Bristol in southwestern England with her family for the past nine years, Scotland Yard confirmed.

Police said her death is being treated as ``unexplained,'' though they said they didn't find anything suspicious. A coroner will make a determination on the cause next week.

Police have made no connection between her death and the prank call, but people from London to Sydney have been making the assumption that she died because of stress from the call.

Flowers were left outside the hospital's nurses' building. Attached to the red, white and blue flowers, a note read: ``Dear Jacintha, our thoughts are with you and your family. From all your fellow nurses, we bless your soul. God bless.''

A man identified as Saldanha's driving instructor Jeff Sellick, told Sky News he was in ``complete shock'' at her death, saying ``it's just such a shame, she was such a nice person.''

In a statement, Saldanha's family said they were ``deeply saddened'' by the death and asked for privacy.

Saldanha had worked for four years at the hospital. She took the hoax call Tuesday by the two DJs from 2DayFM, and transferred the call to the nurse caring for the duchess.

During the call, a woman using the often-mimicked voice of Britain's monarch asked about the duchess' health. She was told by the second nurse who took the call from Saldanha that the duchess, the former Kate Middleton, ``hasn't had any retching with me and she's been sleeping on and off.''

The recorded conversation sparked international headlines, and the DJs, Mel Greig and Michael Christian, soon apologized for the prank. They have said they will not return to the station until further notice, though the chief executive of the station's parent company has said he stands behind them.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority, which regulates radio broadcasting, says it has received complaints about the prank and is discussing the matter with the Sydney-based station, though it has not yet begun an investigation.

The station has a history of controversy, including a series of ``Heartless Hotline'' shows in which disadvantage people were offered a prize that could be taken away from them by listeners.

St. James's Palace, the office of the duchess and her husband Prince William, expressed sadness at Saldanha's death, but insisted that it had not complained about the hoax. King Edward VII's Hospital said it did not reprimand Saldanha, nor had plans to discipline her.

Officials from St. James's Palace have said the duchess is not yet 12 weeks pregnant. The child would be the first for her and William. (AP)

<한글 기사>

라디오 방송 DJ '장난 전화'에 간호사 자살

누리꾼 격분..호주 방송 진행자 해고, 광고 철회 잇따라

영국 왕실을 가장한 호주 방송 진행자들의 장난전화에 속아 왕세손비의 치료 정보를 유출시킨 사건과 연루된 간호사가 숨진 채 발견되면서 해당 방송사가 여론의 뭇매를 맞고 있다.

이번 사건을 일으킨 시드니 라디오방송 '2데이FM'은 8일(현지시간) 진행자 멜 그리그와 마이클 크리스티안이 방송에서 하차키로 했다고 밝혔다.

 방송은 성명에서 "간호사의 사망 소식에 두 진행자가 깊은 충격에 빠졌다"면서 "숨진 간호사에게 애도를 표시하기 위해 방송에 복귀하지 않기로 했다"고 전했다.

이들은 지난 4일 오전 5시30분께 영국 여왕과 찰스 왕세자를 가장해 런던 킹에드 워드 7세 병원에 전화를 걸었다.

당직 근무 중이던 이 병원 소속 간호사 재신사 살다나는 장난전화에 속아 전화를 다른 간호사에게 연결해 왕세손비의 치료정보가 유출되는 사건에 휘말렸고, 결국 심적 부담을 이기지 못하고 지난 7일 런던 자택에서 자살한 것으로 추정되고 있다.

살다나의 사망 사실이 전해지자 호주에서는 비난 여론이 들끓었다.

이날 '2데이FM'의 페이스북 계정에는 방송사와 진행자들을 비난하는 글이 1만여 건 이상 올라왔다. 누리꾼들은 진행자들의 즉각적인 해고를 요구했다.

한 누리꾼은 이들 진행자가 윌리엄 왕세손의 어머니인 고 다이애나비를 죽음으로 몰고 간 파파라치들과 다르지 않다며 맹비난했다.

또 이 같은 여론을 의식한 광고주들의 광고 철회 발표가 잇따랐다.

시드니 방송의 최대 광고주인 대형 슈퍼마켓 체인 콜스는 "2데이FM의 장난전화가 몰고 온 비극적 결과에 호주인들은 매우 분노하고 있다"며 방송사에 대한 지원을 전면 철회한다고 밝혔다.

방송은 그간 웹사이트에 '사상 최고의 왕실 놀리기'를 자축하는 배너를 내걸고 방송 다시 듣기 서비스 등을 제공해왔다. 간호사의 사망 소식이 전해진지 7시간여가 지나도록 이 같은 서비스가 계속돼 공분을 키웠다.

호주 당국도 처벌 가능성을 검토 중인 것으로 알려졌다.

스테판 콘로이 통신장관은 이번 방송이 당국의 민영 라디오방송 규정을 위반했는지 조사에 착수할 방침이라고 밝혔다.

줄리아 길러드 총리도 간호사의 죽음은 "끔찍한 비극"이라며 유감을 표했다.