I was very sad that you published Tim Hamlett's article on Sunday, September 7, on the death of Princess Diana, in which he sought to absolve the press of complicity in her death.
This was a poor piece of timing on your part, quite out of touch with the feelings of most of your readers. Now you have done so, I should like to respond.
Mr Hamlett scolds 'a surprising number of pundits, politicos and parasites' for identifying the local press with the journalists said to be involved in the death.
He dismisses the comments of Charles, Earl Spencer and Mohamed al-Fayed as they were not present whilst he himself wasn't either. After warning us not to jump to conclusions concerning the cause of the accident, he does precisely that, reviewing what little he knows and concluding 'I expect there were no press motorbikes near the crash.' Mr Hamlett is a qualified and reputedly responsible journalist. I was told he teaches the subject. No doubt it irks him to be tarred with the same brush as his unrespectable colleagues, however, in future I sincerely hope he will think more carefully before leaping into print. On this occasion not only is his article objectionable but his conclusion is wrong.
The Princess was a victim of the press. She was harassed day after day, year after year; she was accused of many failures as an individual and as a mother.
Mr Hamlett may hope by this article for absolution for his profession, but he will not get it from this reader.
