Suicide of Jacintha Saldanha

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Jacintha Saldanha (24 March 1966 – 7 December 2012) was an Indian nurse who worked at King Edward VII's Hospital in the City of Westminster, London. On 7 December 2012, she was found dead by suicide, three days after falling for a prank phone call as part of a radio stunt. In the prank call, the hosts of the Australian radio programme Hot30 Countdown, broadcast on the Southern Cross Austereo-owned station 2Day FM in Sydney, called Saldanha's hospital and impersonated Queen Elizabeth II and the then-Prince of Wales enquiring about the health of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, who was a patient there at the time. Saldanha fell for the hoax and transferred the call to the nurse looking after the Duchess. Saldanha's suicide led to public outrage, including in Saldanha's home country, against those responsible for perpetrating and broadcasting the prank. Despite numerous calls for legal action, no charges were laid.

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