No charge for Mel & MC over prank call

The Crown Prosecution Service has decided no charges should be brought over hoax calls by DJs Mel & MC to King Edward VII Hospital in London.

Malcolm McHaffie, Deputy Head of Special Crime at the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “As is well known, on 4 December 2012, Mel Greig and Michael Christian, both radio presenters in Australia, made a telephone call to the King Edward VII Hospital in London, where the Duchess of Cambridge was receiving treatment, in which they pretended to be members of the Royal Family.

“During the course of the call, private information about the Duchess’ health was given, in good faith, to Ms Greig and Mr Christian and the call was later played on a radio station in Australia.

“Subsequently, Jacintha Saldanha, a nurse at the hospital who had initially taken the call but who had not herself passed on the information, tragically took her own life.

“The Metropolitan Police Service provided the CPS with a file of evidence on 19 December 2012 and sought our advice on whether a prosecution should be brought.

“Having carefully reviewed the evidence currently available we have concluded that there is no evidence to support a charge of manslaughter and that although there is some evidence to warrant further investigation of offences under the Data Protection Act 1998, the Malicious Communications Act 1988 and the Communications Act 2003, no further investigation is required because any potential prosecution would not be in the public interest.

“In reaching this decision, the CPS has taken into account the following, among other, matters:

It is not possible to extradite individuals from Australia in respect of the potential offences in question. However misguided, the telephone call was intended as a harmless prank.

“The consequences in this case were very sad. We send our sincere condolences to Jacintha Saldanha’s family.”