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Diana documentary complaints rejected

24/09/2007

Britain's communications watchdog has knocked back viewer complaints that a controversial documentary on the death of Princess Diana was insensitive.

Sixty-two complaints were recorded by Ofcom after Diana: The Witnesses in the Tunnel was broadcast on Channel 4 on June 6th.

The documentary had both provoked controversy and attracted publicity in the days before it was shown after it emerged Channel 4 bosses had rejected a request from Princes William and Harry for certain images used in the programme to be pulled.

The princes had unsuccessfully appealed to the broadcaster not to show pictures taken by paparazzi after a car carrying Diana, 36, and her partner Dodi al-Fayed, 42, crashed in Paris' Pont d'Alma tunnel.

Complainants had said that the images had been "disturbing" and that their broadcast had been "insensitive and disrespectful" towards the wishes of Diana's sons.

But in its judgment Ofcom ruled that these images were "integral to the nature and editorial narrative of the programme".

"Ofcom also noted that Channel 4 had taken steps to reduce the visual impact of the main photographs of the crashed car," a statement elaborated.

"In particular, a photograph showing the first French doctor on the scene leaning into the car assisting Princess Diana had been carefully masked so as not to show her face, injuries or any detail.

"In the photograph neither the doctor nor Princess Diana were identifiable.

"Taking the programme as a whole, Ofcom considered that its contents had been justified by context."