Coroner delivers suicide finding in nurse inquest. Mel Greig’s statement

UK Coroner Fiona Wilcox has delivered a finding of suicide in the Jacintha Saldanha inquest.

Before delivering her verdict Coroner Fiona Wilcox paid tribute to Jacintha Saldanha’s family, saying her children showed “immense dignity and maturity.”

In giving her conclusions she said the support given to nurse between the call and her death was “reasonable and appropriate” and that neither husband, colleagues or friends had any suggestion she would hang herself. She said she the nurse took her own life.

As the inquest finished, Mel Greig was granted permission to make a brief statement. In a tearful message to the nurse’s family in the court room she said:

“I am so sorry for your loss. I have wanted to say this for so long… I wish I’d tried harder to stop the prank call from airing.

“There is a lot to learn from this tragic event. I believe that hospitals and media organisations should look into their procedures and policies to ensure a tragedy like this never happens again. To fellow announcers and DJs I urge you to speak up if you don’t feel comfortable and to consider the feelings of others when trying to make a joke. The joke should always be on us the DJs.”

Summing up her findings the coroner said: “This incident was not reasonably foreseeable. The support given to Jacintha Saldanha was reasonable and appropriate.”

In a media conference outside the court, Keith Vaz spoke for the family, saying the hoax call changed their lives forever. In a brief statement, Jacintha’s son said he misses his mother every day.


 

Mel Greig leaves the courtroom in London at the conclusion of the inquest.
 

If this report has raised issues for you and you need to talk to someone, contact Lifeline on 131 114 or visit beyondblue.org.au

 

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