Kyle Sandilands are leaving Southern Cross-Austereo’s 2DayFM (let the grief be unconfined) to join Mix 106.5, apparently for altruistic reasons and a minimum of $1 million a year apiece.

Their time at 2DayFM had many features. Like this one, when they hooked up a 14-year-old girl to a lie detector in July 2009. To be clear here, the girl was accompanied by her mother, but clearly appeared an unwilling participant. She explicitly said she was afraid and that this was not fair. She was then asked about her personal sexual history, with the clear message that if she was not truthful she would be branded a liar. She said she was raped when she was 12 years old.

But that’s just how I read it. Five months later the Australian Communications and Media Authority after investigating the incident ruled that the station would have an extra licence condition, that any broadcast involving someone under 18 must put the child’s best interests first, avoid causing them unnecessary distress or anxiety, and avoid exploiting and humiliating them. Nothing else.

In January 2010 Jackie O was quoted as saying, “The rape incident completely shocked us and broke our hearts; we would never, ever want something like that to go to air,” she said.

The salient words here seem to be “go to air”.

JACKIE O: Here’s a little quick recap before we do the lie detector.

Mother: Last Thursday night she went to bed at 9 o’clock, I gave her a kiss goodnight, then at 2.30 in the morning I got a knock on the door from two undercover police bringing her home

JACKIE O: What’s your worst fear? Is it the sex? Is it the lying? Is it possibly doing drugs, smoking, what is it?

Mother: Drugs and sex, and older boys

JACKIE O: Yeah. Has she told you she’s had sex before or do you think she’s a virgin?

Mother: She might have had sex before.

JACKIE O: She hasn’t said anything

KYLE: Have you asked about the drugs and things like that?

Mother: I know for a fact that she’s been smoking marijuana

KYLE: So she’s admitted that has she?

JACKIE O: You want to know if she’s been doing anything harder than marijuana then

Mother: Yes

JACKIE O: OK All right we have her hooked on to the lie detector.

KYLE: Awwww

JACKIE O: She’s not happy [laugh] I just saw her listening to that XXXXXX

Girl: I’m scared. It’s not fair.

JACKIE O: It wouldn’t be fair on any kid I tell you, I sympathise with you.

KYLE: Is that true, Charles, is that true?

Charles: Yes it’s true.

KYLE: She is scared everyone. Yeah.

JACKIE O: Yeah. Mum you’ve got a series of questions you’re going to ask your daughter, and xxx you reply either yes or no. And you’ll be picked up on the lie detector whether you are telling the truth or lying. OK Mum, What did you want to start with.

Mum: OK about school. xxx recently started a new school, and I want to know have you wagged at your-new school.

Girl: I have not wagged at my new school.

JACKIE O: So the answer would be. . . no?

Girl: No. I haven’t.

Charles: And that’s a fail

Girl: I haven’t wagged. Are you kidding me?

Charles: I’m just calling it as—

Girl I didn’t bloody wag.

JACKIE O: Poor Charles is going to cop it this morning

KYLE: You’re not within arms reach are you?

Charles: No

JACKIE O: Yeah. He is. He is.

JACKIE O: The lie detector says

Girl: I didn’t wag

JACKIE O: What’s happening Charles?

Charles: Well maybe she just skipped a class or something like that

JACKIE O: Have you done that, have you skipped a class?

Girl: No I haven’t

JACKIE O: Have you left there early?

Girl: I haven’t.

KYLE: Could it come up a fail—have you had a sick day or something, where you’ve bunged on a bit of sickie and you’ve-—

Girl: Oh yeah. Plenty of them.

KYLE: Well could that be it?

JACKIE O: Well that’s it then. OK. What’s your next question, Mum?

Mother: OK. Have you had sex?

Girl: I’ve already told you the story of this. And don’t look at me and smile cos it’s not funny. Oh. OK. I got raped when I was 12 years old.

[Pause]

KYLE: Right. And is that the—that the only experience you’ve had?

Mother: I only found out about that, um, a couple of months ago. Yes I knew about that.

Girl: And yet you still asked me the question.

Mother: The question was, have you had sex other than that?

JACKIE O: XXXX I’m really sorry, we didn’t actually know that was the case, and I think we might actually abort this. I had no idea you had been through that and I’m really sorry. So we’ll just let you off the hook, I think. I think it’s best not to continue. Are you all right? It’s OK you just take a breather, it’s fine. We always have counselling services here. Have youmhave youh-have you had any counselling over this issue?

Mother: No she hasn’t.

JACKIE O: Well we have all the right people in place ifshe needs any support, which it sounds as if she might. l’m really sorry I had no idea that this had happened to you. I don’t think we would have gone ahead with that had we known. 0K honey we’ll just let you go for a while. I’m sorry I didn’t-“I didn’t realise that was“

KYLE: OK Mum I’m sorry, we needed t0–that was probably something we should have know before we started this.

JACKIE O: Definitely

KYLE:  All right if you guys haven’t had any help, any counselling, anyone to tlak to, we’re happy to pick up the bilE for that. We’ve got ‘em here. Do you want that Mum?

Mother: Yeah I think that’d be good.

KYLE: Yeah. And going through that—going through that might answer some of the questions you’vewyou guys are having difficulty communicating with

Mother: OK

KYLE: OK doll(?) thanks for coming in. Sorry bout that. We’re out, everyone. Jackie’s got some more news, coming up.