Imagine that you're behind a car and you watch in horror as the driver loses control and the vehicle spins out of control. As you pull up to the scene of the accident four victims lay bleeding and very seriously injured. All are unconscious. Which of the following actions do you take:
- Call for an ambulance;
- Administer first aid;
- Crawl over the car and take pictures of the victims as they bleed to death.
Ten to fifteen French photographers selected the third option, getting within inches of Princess Diana's face to take pictures as she lay trapped and dying in the back seat of a demolished Mercedes.
Some of the photographers also apparently pushed and swore at rescue workers and policemen who arrived at the accident scene. The photographers were upset that those trying to save the life of the injured were interfering with their photographs.
Could there possibly be a more perfectly named photographer than Romuald Rat? The Rat is accused of obstructing the work of the first officers on the scene of the accident. Rat's lawyer even admits that his client took Diana's pulse while he was taking pictures to see if she was dead or alive. I guess the pictures of a dead princess are worth more than pictures of a living
princess.
American businessman Jack Firestone happened to be at the scene of the accident. He called the behavior of the photographers "disgusting." Firestone said the photographers were "...climbing all over the car as if they were mosquitoes."
Seven photographers who were jailed and released now await trial. They sold exclusive stories of their detention to tabloids. Rumor has it that a German magazine has bought and will publish pictures of the dying princess taken by one of the paparazzi.
(Source: Washington Times.)
