Shock jock 'panicked' as girl revealed rape

30 Jul 2009, 7:04 am   -   Source: AAP
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Sandilands (L) was eventually pulled off air by his co-host 'Jackie O'. (AAP)

Sandilands (L) was eventually pulled off air by his co-host 'Jackie O'. (AAP)

Radio host Kyle Sandilands has said no apology is due after a girl strapped to a lie detector told him on air that she was raped, but says he 'floundered' before pulling the plug.

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FM shock jock Kyle Sandilands says he was "floundering" on air after being told by a teenager that she had been raped when she was 12.

But the controversial radio host has refused to apologise for a stunt which backfired on a popular Sydney morning radio show, saying he "didn't realise" that he then went on to ask the girl if the rape was her only sexual experience.

The 14-year-old girl reluctantly revealed she had been raped as she was subjected to a live polygraph test on 2Day FM's Kyle & Jackie O Show on Wednesday morning.

The incident has sparked angry criticism and numerous calls to child welfare authorities, with the girl apparently forced into participating by her mother.

When her mother asked the teenager if she was sexually active the girl replied: "I've already told you the story about this ... and don't look at me and smile because it's not funny".

Raising her voice she then said: "Oh, OK, I got raped when I was 12 years old".

Sandilands responded by saying: "Right, is that the only experience you've had?", before the segment was brought to an end.

Sandilands, who was corresponding from New Zealand, later wrote on a News Limited website that he and his colleague Jackie "were stunned" after hearing the comments.

"To tell you the truth I was floundering around, signalling to the producers and Jackie down the camera indicating that we had to get it off air," he wrote.

"I didn't realise I had said have you had any other experiences?"

But while the radio station went into damage control on Wednesday, Sandilands asked for understanding and said he had panicked.

"At the same time I was speaking I was signalling to Jackie that we had to terminate the segment," he wrote.

"I went into a slight panic as how to get the thing off the air and I was more focused on making that happen than on what I said."

He said that he had spoken to the girl's mother and the family will receive counselling.

"We have done everything that we can possibly do to help them."

However, the girl's mother was more concerned that the event had turned into a big news story.

"I'm sorry for her that it turned out like that," he wrote.    But he refused to apologise to the teenage girl or his audience for his on-air comments.

"As far an apology goes, the only person I feel sorry for is the girl.

"That what should have been dealt with as her private situation ended up being one of the biggest news stories of the day.

"As for what I said, it wasn't intended to hurt.

"If people have found it appalling or offensive I'm sorry for them that (they) feel that way, but I would ask people to put themselves into the situation where someone says to you during a live radio show that they have been raped."

Karen Willis of the NSW Rape Crisis Centre said she was disgusted by the entire segment.

"I was pretty appalled with the whole process from beginning to end," Ms Willis told AAP.

"Setting up a young woman like that is unethical in the extreme.

"The girl was just abused again and it's not good enough."

2Day FM said the station was offering the girl support and counselling.

In a statement issued earlier, Sandilands and Jackie O expressed their regret, but did not apologise.

Station general manager Jenny Parkes said in the normal course of preparing the segment "all due care and consideration was given to the family".

"Clearly, we didn't know anything about this traumatic incident," Ms Parkes said.

Australian Communications and Media Authority spokesman Donald Robinson said his organisation had received complaints about the segment but 2Day FM must respond in the first instance.

"If the complainant is not satisfied with 2Day FM's response they can bring their complaint to us," Mr Robinson said.

The segment sparked angry criticism from members of the public with calls to talkback radio stations and the Department of Community Services. Comment was being sought from DOCS, which says it is looking into the girl's welfare.
 

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Your Comments

Mrs

Mrs Wirth - from Queensland, 3 years ago

In a day where we encourage young girls to be sexually active I see nothing wrong with what the radio people did and said.
However that man is rude and offensive in every other way. He thinks he's a smart arse but he is just an arse.
We are all better off without people like him as examples to our kids.

Kaz

Kaz Price - from Sydney, 3 years ago

Kyle's baleful bigotry and Jackie's relaying of her poo dreams turned me off 2dayfm years ago - neurons that fire together wire together and who would want to fill their brain with this appalling trash?

Kyle and jackie O are pathetic

Kosta Atzemis - from The Rocks, 3 years ago

They are the Jerry Springer of radio. If anyone has any sense, they will tune out, they have nothing interesting to offer.

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