Prince Harry and Meghan Markle promote phone network blamed for death of mentally-ill man
PRINCE Harry and Meghan Markle were today blasted for promoting a controversial phone network blamed for the death of a mentally-ill man, the Sun Online can reveal.
The couple used their SussexRoyal Instagram to promote Bell Let’s Talk last night – an initiative run by phone firm Bell Canada that aims to encourage calls to raise mental health awareness.
But the royals were today slammed for not doing their homework after it was revealed Bell Canada was blamed for the death of vulnerable prisoner Cleve Geddes.
An inquest found the 30-year-old hanged himself at Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre in February 2017 after he was unable to call his family.
Bell Canada runs the phones at a string of jails across the country, and has been widely criticised for making calls for prisoners too expensive.
Campaigners say it cuts them off from crucial counselling sessions and means they are unable to afford vital chats with family members.
The coroner at Mr Geddes' inquest even spoke publicly to call for an overhaul to the phone systems to "make it easier for inmates to make outgoing phone calls".
But it appears Bell Canada is yet to make changes - sparking huge backlash from prisoner rights' activists.
Speaking today, criminal lawyer Michael Spratt said Harry and Meghan should do their research into local issues before wading in.
The Canadian told the Sun Online: "I would urge Meghan and Harry to talk to experts, talk to service providers and talk to the people who are in the trenches and who live in the country they want to call home for half the year.
"There is so much good they could be doing.
"Sometimes you have to look under the veneer of social responsibility before you can see the work."
And he warned of the murky world of corporate charity, suggesting Bell Canada was "profiting from mental health".
Last night, Harry and Meghan gushed they were "so happy" to be backing Bell Let's talk campaign, which vows to donate five Canadian cents towards mental health initiatives.
Encouraging their 11m fans to get involved, they said: "Please share, please talk and be part of the solution".
They also shared an emoji of the Canadian flag - perhaps highlighting their newfound patriotism.
The 'woke' pair have regularly spoken out about mental health awareness, even telling Tom Bradby in their African documentary that they too had struggled with the pressures of royal life.
'SHOW YOU ACTUALLY CARE'
The Toronto Prisoners' Rights Project also slammed Bell Let’s Talk for limiting inmates from accessing much-needed counselling – and stinging them with high phone charges.
Calls cost at least $1 a call for local calls (58p), and up to $30 (£17.50) for a 20-minute long distance call. Prisoners can also only call landlines, not mobile phones.
A spokesperson for the prisoners' rights group said: "In 2017, Cleve Geddes committed suicide in an Ottawa prison after trying to reach out during a mental health crisis. He was unable to contact his support system via phone.
"It’s no secret that prisons take a toll on mental health.
"Many people in prisons live with mental health challenges or develop them due to prison conditions.
"So why does Bell, a company that promotes itself through mental health initiatives, contribute to these conditions and make it so much harder for those in prison to get help?
"What use is Bell Let's Talk Day if Bell is making things worse the other 364 days of the year?"
The spokesperson added: "If you want to show us you truly care about 'talking' about mental health, you can start by ending this inaccessible phone contract. Otherwise, it’s clear to all of us that what you actually care about is profit."
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Bell told the Sun Online that the terms of its current contract were specified by the government in 2013.
They said: "The rates for operated assisted calls in Ontario correctional facilities are the same as Bell’s public rates. The contract expires in June and we’ve submitted a new proposal in response to the government’s request."
They said the Let's Talk Day saw $7,719,371.25 (£4,459,404) more Bell funding for Canadian mental health.
They added: "Millions of people in Canada and around the world joined in to support yesterday’s record-setting Bell Let’s Talk Day, including many notable supporters such as the Sussexes, Prime Minister Trudeau and other leaders and influencers.
"No one sending a message of support on Bell Let’s Talk Day is paid for their participation. However, we do donate 5 cents to mental health programs for each such message on Bell Let’s Talk Day at no cost to participants."
Buckingham Palace has been contacted for comment.
