A wife's revenge from beyond the grave: tiktok, online justice, practice curtailment, board complaints, and family divorce work.

[borne_before]

I just read this article:

A Wife’s Revenge from Beyond the Grave

Caught in a brutal divorce, Catherine Kassenoff committed medically assisted suicide. Then the campaign to destroy her ex-husband truly began.

www.thefp.com

Do not get drawn into family divorce work unless you are a special breed.

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[PsyDr]

Summary: Two litigators get married. One gets breast cancer, recovers. Both parties are noted to be extremely aggressive, with the female spouse being noted to be more aggressive by a court ordered psychologist. Surprise, people who argue for a living also argue at home. They divorce. Wife applies for medically assisted suicide unrelated to any medical or psychiatric illness. Then, the couple go through a custody dispute. Wife is accused of child abuse, based upon testimony from two separate housekeepers. A psychologist is court ordered to perform a child custody evaluation. Husband gets full custody. Wife files a board complaint against the psychologist and then lobbies for the Governor to make changes to unfair family court procedures. Wife then goes to Switzerland to commit suicide, telling psychiatrists on several separate occasions that she wanted to commit suicide due to her husband's mistreatment. There are four separate psychiatric evaluations, stating she does not have a psychiatric diagnosis. On her final day, wife posts her suicide note on social media, mentioning that she had been diagnosed with a recurrence of breast cancer. Social media picks up the story and starts sending the husband's clients a bunch of emails. Husband takes a leave of absence from his law firm.

 

[The Cinnabon]

Summary: Two litigators get married. One gets breast cancer, recovers. Both parties are noted to be extremely aggressive, with the female spouse being noted to be more aggressive by a court ordered psychologist. Surprise, people who argue for a living also argue at home. They divorce. Wife applies for medically assisted suicide unrelated to any medical or psychiatric illness. Then, the couple go through a custody dispute. Wife is accused of child abuse, based upon testimony from two separate housekeepers. A psychologist is court ordered to perform a child custody evaluation. Husband gets full custody. Wife files a board complaint against the psychologist and then lobbies for the Governor to make changes to unfair family court procedures. Wife then goes to Switzerland to commit suicide, telling psychiatrists on several separate occasions that she wanted to commit suicide due to her husband's mistreatment. There are four separate psychiatric evaluations, stating she does not have a psychiatric diagnosis. On her final day, wife posts her suicide note on social media, mentioning that she had been diagnosed with a recurrence of breast cancer. Social media picks up the story and starts sending the husband's clients a bunch of emails. Husband takes a leave of absence from his law firm.

I'm so glad my partner is a software engineer and, most importantly, not a litigator.

 

[Sanman]

Summary: Two litigators get married. One gets breast cancer, recovers. Both parties are noted to be extremely aggressive, with the female spouse being noted to be more aggressive by a court ordered psychologist. Surprise, people who argue for a living also argue at home. They divorce. Wife applies for medically assisted suicide unrelated to any medical or psychiatric illness. Then, the couple go through a custody dispute. Wife is accused of child abuse, based upon testimony from two separate housekeepers. A psychologist is court ordered to perform a child custody evaluation. Husband gets full custody. Wife files a board complaint against the psychologist and then lobbies for the Governor to make changes to unfair family court procedures. Wife then goes to Switzerland to commit suicide, telling psychiatrists on several separate occasions that she wanted to commit suicide due to her husband's mistreatment. There are four separate psychiatric evaluations, stating she does not have a psychiatric diagnosis. On her final day, wife posts her suicide note on social media, mentioning that she had been diagnosed with a recurrence of breast cancer. Social media picks up the story and starts sending the husband's clients a bunch of emails. Husband takes a leave of absence from his law firm.

And this is why child custody is the area of practice with the most board complaints.

 

[Sanman]

So here is my question for the forensic folks. If this had been a suicide instead of a doctor assisted suicide, what is the culpability/responsibility of the psychiatrists whom she voiced suicidal ideation? Do you just make a recommendation for treatment or is there any other responsibility?

 

[WisNeuro]

So here is my question for the forensic folks. If this had been a suicide instead of a doctor assisted suicide, what is the culpability/responsibility of the psychiatrists whom she voiced suicidal ideation? Do you just make a recommendation for treatment or is there any other responsibility?

If there is an imminent danger voiced, our mandated reporter responsibilities are the same, clinical patient or forensic claimant.

 

[PsyDr]

So here is my question for the forensic folks. If this had been a suicide instead of a doctor assisted suicide, what is the culpability/responsibility of the psychiatrists whom she voiced suicidal ideation? Do you just make a recommendation for treatment or is there any other responsibility?

It's a LOT more complicated than that.

1) The wife/deceased was under the treatment of a US based psychiatrist. Wife denied SI to her treating psychiatrist.
a. The treating relationship is based upon self report. The deceased denied SI to the treating psychiatrist. The treating psychiatrist went on record stating that the claimant was free of SI. Absent an expert stating that the treating psychiatrist should have known undisclosed factors, there is no negligence.

2) TWO separate court ordered psychologists did not find indication of SI.
a. Three years prior to the suicide, the court ordered psychologist found no indication of SI.
b. After the initial psychological evaluation, the deceased presented things to a panel of legislators, who are attorneys, without anyone expressing concern.
c. A second court ordered psychologist did not find any evidence of SI in a report, but noted that the deceased was motivated to enact revenge on the husband. Based upon the FB post, it sounds like this psychologist was right.
d. Usually, a court order makes you an agent of the court, and therefore partially immune from lawsuits. Same legal reason why you can't sue a judge. This is why you end up with board complaints instead of being sued.

3) While in treatment, the wife/deceased was concurrently evaluated by a UK based psychiatrist, who was employed by the euthanasia clinic, on four separate occasions.
a. This UK psychiatrist indicated that there were no psychiatric diagnoses, and that the deceased was "of sound mind".
b. The UK psychiatrist lost his license for unknown reasons. Presumably, his book that endorses suicide for pretty much any reason, played a role in his legal status.
c. The psychiatrist was previously licensed in the UK. The UK is not part of the EU, where the euthanasia clinic was located.
d. The Swiss clinic provides "assistance in dying". This practice has been legal in Switzerland since 1941.

3) There are MULTIPLE jurisdictions involved, including one where the standard of care includes providing assistance in death.

4) There are some discrepancies in the record of the deceased self report, which would likely exclude evidence.
a. No evidence of SI in some settings, while endorsement of SI in others.
b. Statements that she was in financial distress, followed by the purchase of a $900,000.00 house.

 

[The Cinnabon]

b. Statements that she was in financial distress, followed by the purchase of a $900,000.00 house.

How does one achieve this type of financial distress?

 

[Egg122]

I believe some of the US psych reports indicated a personality disorder, which makes sense. This entire thing screams cluster B on both sides (husband and wife).

 

[MAClinician]

The wife reportedly posted her CHILDREN’S therapy records to a download link along with recordings of the husband, document's, etc. Disgusting. The story of both mom annd dads actions was heartbreaking for those kids.

 

[cara susanna]

Honestly, to me this is just more evidence that our suicide risk assessment system is by no means, and never will be, foolproof. People can deny SI (and even not be lying, they can genuinely not be having SI) and still go onto kill themselves. In fact, we know that suicide is often impulsive.

 

[futureapppsy2]

Honestly, to me this is just more evidence that our suicide risk assessment system is by no means, and never will be, foolproof. People can deny SI (and even not be lying, they can genuinely not be having SI) and still go onto kill themselves. In fact, we know that suicide is often impulsive

Honestly, to me this is just more evidence that our suicide risk assessment system is by no means, and never will be, foolproof. People can deny SI (and even not be lying, they can genuinely not be having SI) and still go onto kill themselves. In fact, we know that suicide is often impulsive.

This case is interesting, too, because there’s some allegations that she didn’t actually die (which seems doubtful, but there are so many gaps and so much evidence of manipulation in the story, including the unlicensed doctor involved in the death, that it’s not completely outside of the realm of possibility).

 

[borne_before]

This case is interesting, too, because there’s some allegations that she didn’t actually die (which seems doubtful, but there are so many gaps and so much evidence of manipulation in the story, including the unlicensed doctor involved in the death, that it’s not completely outside of the realm of possibility).

Could you imagine!