Princess Kate Middleton could take legal action after her private medical records were involved in a security breach at The London Clinic.
“Kate can always file a civil lawsuit for invasion of privacy,” attorney and legal expert Neama Rahmani, who is not involved with the case, exclusively told Us Weekly on Wednesday, March 20. “If she wants to go after the perpetrator to say that her privacy rights were violated, she can absolutely do so.”
The London Clinic launched an investigation into its employees after members of the hospital reportedly tried to access Kate’s private medical records following her January abdominal procedure, the Daily Mail reported on Tuesday, March 19. The outlet noted that the investigation began after one staffer attempted to access the princess’ file without permission.
Rahmani said it should be “easy to catch” the perpetrator, given the nature of the breach.
“It’s pretty clear right now whenever you access a file or a site, who’s doing so,” he said. “It’s just really a question of, did the perpetrator just try to access the data or was he or she able to actually see it? In which case that would be a very serious violation.”
Rahmani noted that, if caught, the consequences for the perpetrator could range from “a criminal investigation and prosecution” to a professional penalty.
“Obviously a doctor or a nurse or a medical professional, they would be licensed, and there’d be a body that regulates them. So, there could be some administrative penalty,” he said. “They could be suspended or even lose their license entirely. “
The London Clinic CEO Al Russell addressed the security breach in a statement to NBC News on Wednesday, March 20.
“Everyone at The London Clinic is acutely aware of our individual, professional, ethical and legal duties with regards to patient confidentiality,” he said, noting that the hospital has “systems in place to monitor management of patient information and, in the case of any breach, all appropriate investigatory, regulatory and disciplinary steps will be taken.”
Kensington Palace issued a statement of its own on Tuesday, noting that Kate, 42, had been made aware of the breach.
“This is a matter for the London Clinic,” the palace told the Daily Mail.
Kate’s health has been a trending topic since her January procedure and subsequent hiatus from public duties. A source told Us on Sunday, March 17, that Kate “will likely be ready to talk about” her health condition when she “goes back to work after Easter.”
The insider added that the princess is expected to speak out “when she’s doing a royal walkabout and meeting and greeting members of the public.”
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
