A mother-of-three who killed herself in a Swiss suicide clinic did so to punish her estranged lawyer husband for getting custody of their kids, it has been claimed.
Catherine Kassenoff, 54, of Westchester, took to Facebook in May of last year to pen a note where she announced she would be ‘ending my own life’.
Kassenoff, who’d worked as a successful litigator, had claimed her husband Allan Kassenoff had been abusing her and their children for years, and that it led to her taking her own life amid their custody battle.
Allan was given sole custody of their three daughters, with his wife opting to kill herself after she lost visitation rights and being diagnosed with terminal cancer.
New details have since emerged about her suicide, as well as claims from former nannies that Catherine had punished her own adopted daughter by ‘dripping water’ on her all day so she couldn’t sleep. She is accused of treating her other daughters who were later born via IVF in a much kinder way.
In an in-depth look into the circumstances surrounding her passing by The Free Press, the outlet managed to speak to those closest to the family.
Catherine Kassenoff, 54, of Westchester, took to Facebook in May of last year to pen a note where she announced she would be ‘ending my own life’
Kassenoff had claimed her husband Allan Kassenoff had been abusing her and their children for years, and that it led to her taking her own life amid their custody battle
As part of her Facebook post, Catherine also released thousands of court documents, alongside videos of her husband, in a now defunct Dropbox link.
One of the reports seen by the outlet that was released was written by UK based former psychiatrist Colin Brewer.
Brewer had written in his report for the Pegasos Swiss Association that Catherine was of a ‘sound enough mind’ to end her life.
Unlike the better-known Dignitas suicide clinic, which is for chronically or terminally-ill people, Pegasos will help people who are not on the verge of dying to end their lives.
He also revealed that she had originally intended to kill herself twice, with the original date set for October 2022 being postponed for administrative reasons.
Brewer told the outlet that he had to rewrite medical reports for her every time, saying: ‘She was always very calm.
‘She got naturally a bit exasperated when talking about her husband. [She was] very clear about what she wanted to do and why she wanted to do it.’
According to Brewer, her cancer diagnosis was never the reason for her ending her life but rather a ‘existential assisted suicide.
He said: ‘She was just concerned that she had been treated abominably by her husband.’
Brewer failed to make any actual medical diagnosis and instead said that Catherine’s death was one of ‘understandable misery’.
Kassenoff had her assisted suicide take place inside the Pegasos clinic, seen here, last May
According to Brewer, her cancer diagnosis was never the reason for her ending her life but rather a ‘existential assisted suicide’
The report also added that Catherine had made extensive arrangements for her children to learn of her passing in the easiest way possible.
Despite this, her adopted daughter Ally told the outlet that she found out about her mother’s impending suicide from her Facebook post the day she died.
The Kassenoffs had adopted Ally from a woman in Florida who was pregnant but unable to look after her in July 2009. They did so after struggling to conceive but were later able to have two more girls through IVF. It is claimed Catherine treated these children much more favorably than Ally.
Nannies employed by the family have since claimed that Catherine had actively set out to abuse Ally just because she was adopted and not her biological daughter.
Kim Hull had worked for the family in 2009 when Ally was just a baby, and claims she was once instructed to keep the baby awake all day by dripping water on her head.
Hull said Catherine told her to do this so as she would sleep through the night, Hull however refused to doll, saying it was ‘abuse’.
She also told the outlet that she found marks on her back that looked like they had been caused by fingernails digging into her skin, causing her to take Ally to a doctor
It has since been revealed that she had originally intended to kill herself twice, with the original date set for October 2022 being postponed for administrative reasons. The inside of facility is seen here
The report added that Catherine had made extensive arrangements for her children to learn of her passing in the easiest way possible, but they found out via her Facebook post
Allan was given sole custody of their three daughters, with his wife opting to kill herself after she lost visitation rights and being diagnosed with terminal cancer
While au pair Celine Dublanchet, who joined the family in 2016, also claims that Catherine once locked Ally, who was 7, in the basement for two hours in the dark as a punishment.
Dublanchet claimed that on another occasion Catherine had made Ally go outside alone after dark to clean the garden in the middle of the winter.
She also said that Ally slept on a mattress on the floor in her room, while her two sisters slept beside their mom in her bed every night – which Ally then had to make every morning.
When asked what she thought of Allan, she called him ‘very nice’ but noted that he did have a temper and that Catherine had ‘pushed him to his emotional limits’.
‘She wanted the girls to see their father be so angry,’ Dublanchet said. ‘She did it on purpose, to have the children on her side.’
After six months, her visa expired and as she readied herself to return to France she said: ‘I wanted to take Ally with me because I felt so sad and bad for her.’
Another nanny, Mylene Gry, claimed she saw Catherine scream at Ally, telling her: ‘You will never have friends’, and ‘you’ll never succeed in life or get married and have your own kids.’
Now over a year since the suicide note was posted online, seen here, Allan told the outlet he still isn’t convinced she is definitely dead, despite receiving death certificates
Au pair Celine Dublanchet, who joined the family in 2016, also claims that Catherine, seen here, once locked Ally, who was 7, in the basement for two hours in the dark as a punishment
During their lengthy custody battle, the court ordered an immediate order granting their father sole legal and physical custody after a neutral forensic evaluator’s assessment.
A finding at the time said: ‘While it is always difficult limiting a parent’s access to their children, given the circumstances of this case, it was found to be in the best interest of the children to take these steps urgently.
‘The children have been in our client’s care for three and a half years and they are safe and healthy.’
Now over a year since the suicide note was posted online, Allan told the outlet he still isn’t convinced she is definitely dead, despite receiving death certificates.
The former lawyer had to quit his job following an absence of leave in June after TikToker Robbie Harvey, an advocate for women in abusive relationships, started uploading videos Catherine had shared on her Facebook.
The former lawyer had to quit his job following an absence of leave in June after TikToker Robbie Harvey, seen here, started uploading videos Catherine had shared on her Facebook
Her videos were removed but her claims were circulated online and among over 3 million of his followers.
Along with the details of their nasty legal woes and his alleged abuse, Catherine shared videos of Kassenoff throwing tantrums and calling her a ‘fat, old loser.’
In another video, he was heard berating the mom-of-three, saying he hated her.
Other clips show him allegedly screaming behind doors, yelling at his kids to ‘shut up,’ and dramatically leaving their home and refusing to take care of the children that remain in his custody.
Meanwhile, a video of one of their daughters reveals the young girl crying and saying she doesn’t ‘want to go with that crazy guy.’
Kasenoff sued Harvey last year for him sharing the clips, claiming they led to financial and emotional ruin.
‘With a few clicks of his keyboard and a video uploaded to TikTok, Defendant Robert Harvey financially destroyed Plaintiff Allan Kassenoff,’ his attorneys wrote in the filing.
‘And, even worse, irreparably harmed Mr. Kassenoff’s three young children… by forcing them into a life where their identities will forever be associated with a bitter and ugly divorce and the suicide of their mother.’
The lawsuit claims that Harvey’s followers ‘bombarded’ the law firm with more than 7,000 calls and 500 emails accusing him of being the reason Catherine took her life.
Allan had sought out $150 million to compensate him for his loss of earnings and his ‘destroyed reputation. They settled earlier this week for an undisclosed sum.
Harvey recently issued a nine-minute video apologizing for the videos, saying he admitting that he ‘made some mistakes in the reporting’ of their divorce.
He adds that: ‘Catherine did not provide a complete record of what was happening. I echoed exactly what Catherine said.’
When pushed for answers as to why he didn’t protect his daughters better, he told the outlet he feared Catherine would get custody, making life worse for Ally
He continued: ‘I wish I would have known the whole story at the time when I was reporting the Kassenoff case.
‘But I did not. Now that more facts have been presented to me, I now see where I was wrong.’
For Allan, the damage was already done but he did tell The Free Press that he was satisfied with the apology.
He added: ‘When the videos first came out, you know, you’re getting hammered left and right.’
Allan added: ‘Assuming she’s dead. Her dying wish and goal was to still hurt me and the kids.’
When pushed for answers as to why he didn’t protect his daughters better, he told the outlet he feared Catherine would get custody if he filed for divorce, making life worse for Ally.
He added: ‘Maybe I wasn’t doing the best job in the world because I had a job,’ he says. ‘But I did the best I could.’
If you or someone you love is experiencing suicidal thoughts or actions, call the National Suicide Hotline at 988.