A New York mother of three decided to end her life with the help of assisted suicide, not over her terminal cancer diagnosis but because a Westchester court had cut her off from her children.
Catherine Kassenoff, 54, who once served as special counsel to Gov. Kathy Hochul, announced in a May 27 Facebook that she was ending her life via assisted suicide in Switzerland later that same day.
“It is with a profound heartbreak … that I am writing my last post ever. Today, I will be ending my own life … In the last four years of my life I have woken up every day to a nightmare like no other,” she wrote in her public suicide note.
She revealed that she had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer but blamed the court system for her decision to die. Amid an ongoing custody battle with her ex-husband Allan Kassenoff, the court had ruled in her ex’s favor. She was not allowed any contact with her daughters, ages 9,12, and 13.
Kassenoff also described the alleged abuse she suffered at the hands of her ex, something she had documented. She called being without her children emotionally devastating.
“In the last four years of my life, I have woken up every day to a nightmare like no other,” she continued. “I can no longer endure the abuse and terror of Allan Kassenoff… I have also endured the emotional devastation of being without my children for so long…”
Ultimately, she blamed the “predatory” court system for her decision to end her life.
“I cannot survive this torment and the grief that comes from such a prolonged separation from my children,” she said. “The court system did this to me … It is a predatory system that functions in darkness — through ‘gag orders’ like the one in my case, through a publicly-inaccessible docket, through a closed courtroom, and through ex parte ‘temporary’ orders that are in place for years.”
The New York Post spoke with several of Kassenoff’s friends, who confirmed that they have not heard from her since she posted her public suicide note. Attorney Wayne Baker, the executor of Kassenoff’s estate, told Ms. Magazine that he is awaiting confirmation of her death. He said it could be anywhere from four to six weeks.
TikToker @therobbieharvey posted videos of Allan verbally and emotionally abusing his ex-wife and daughters. He can be heard calling Kassenoff “thing,” “fat,” and “old” and telling her that he hates her.
This is why! pic.twitter.com/H5jp4FmX7A
— Just a Hog Fan (@just_a_hog_fan) June 11, 2023
His interactions with his children were not better, with one video showing him refusing to take one of his daughters to school. Another one shows one of the children crying, saying she doesn’t “want to go with that crazy guy.”
Pt 2 pic.twitter.com/JogOm2zz5D
— Just a Hog Fan (@just_a_hog_fan) June 11, 2023
Despite the video evidence, Allan was designated as the primary parent. He continued to target his ex, trying to have her arrested on multiple occasions. Allan succeeded in having her arrested in 2020, resulting in her losing her job. All of the charges were eventually dropped.
Allan’s attorney, Gus Dimopoulous, issued a statement to the New York Post stating the court acted in the children’s best interest.
“At every stage of this four-year custody dispute, the court system has acted responsibly and thoroughly. Following a neutral forensic evaluator’s assessment, the court ordered an immediate order granting their father sole legal and physical custody,” it read. “The court also issued an urgent order of protection against Ms. Kassenoff eliminating unsupervised interactions with the children based on what they observed when they were with their mother … “
The statement continued, “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 3 ½ years and they are safe and healthy.”
Allan’s employer, the law firm Greenberg Traurig, told the outlet they are conducting an internal investigation while he is on voluntary leave.
A vigil was held for Kassenoff on Monday at a cafe in Larchmont. It was attended by friends, other mothers who claim to be victims of the court system, and court reform advocates. They are calling for an investigation into the New York Family court system.
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