Whereas investigating allegations of a faux psychologist, police cost an actual one

Investigators have made an arrest within the uncommon case of a faux psychologist who was working with the Ottawa police. However in a twist, investigators say the perpetrator is not an imposter — however the precise therapist.

Const. Kimberly Cadarette advised CBC Information in June she believed that the psychologist who had assessed whether or not she was match for responsibility, in a collection of face-to-face classes 14 years earlier, was an imposter.

Cadarette says she was taken off patrol and ordered to see a therapist after complaining about sexual harassment. She says the main points of the ensuing evaluation, which she believes was fraudulent, leaked out and ruined her potential for profession development.

The evaluation bore the letterhead and signature of Dr. Ronald Frey, a scientific psychologist with twenty years of expertise working with municipal police forces, the RCMP and the Canadian Forces.

In 2020, Cadarette thought of authorized motion in opposition to the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) for the historic criticism. However throughout a Zoom assembly together with her authorized staff, Frey denied writing Cadarette’s fit-for-duty report.

CBC Information later brought them face to face and, in a unprecedented encounter, each declared they’d by no means met earlier than.

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WATCH | Frey, Cadarette come head to head:

Psychologist and former Ottawa police officer meet for the primary time

4 months agoConst. Kimberly Cadarette and Ron Frey each say they’ve by no means met one another, regardless of a psychological report that claims Frey handled Cadarette in 2007. 1:13

OPS requested an out of doors pressure, York Regional Police (YRP), to analyze Frey’s allegations he’d been impersonated.

On Monday, in an sudden flip of occasions, York investigators arrested Frey at his clinic in south Ottawa and charged him with one rely of public mischief.

A YRP spokesperson stated, in a press release to CBC Information, Frey had “twice reported to the Ottawa Police Service that he had been impersonated when he had not.”

Requested how they decided Frey’s statements have been false, they declined to reply, saying: “This forms the evidence for the case and cannot be disclosed as it is now before the courts.”

‘It is a full puzzle’

Frey’s lawyer, Bruce Engel, says his shopper has but to obtain any info from the police or the Crown lawyer’s workplace, however that his shopper intends to vigorously defend in opposition to the allegation.

“My client has instructed me to vehemently deny all the allegations and vigorously defend him in court. He insists that he has done absolutely nothing wrong,” stated Engel.

The arrest has additionally left Cadarette’s lawyer, Peter Brauti, flummoxed.

“It’s a complete puzzle for me and I just wish there was more transparency in all of this, because at this point we don’t know why Dr. Frey has been arrested,” he stated.

Brauti says York police advised his shopper that investigators had discovered info displaying Frey had had some contact with Cadarette, opposite to their declare of getting not beforehand met. He does not know what proof investigators have nevertheless it’s left him with much more questions.

“I don’t see what the motive would be for [Frey] to be dishonest about any of this.”

For 3 days, 4 officers in two autos waited to arrest Frey outdoors his clinic at 1800 Financial institution St. in Ottawa. Frey did not go into work final Thursday or Friday, however on Monday, he arrived shortly after 9 a.m.

The officers have been joined by two others and, at 2:18 p.m., Frey was escorted out of his workplace and handcuffed simply earlier than being put right into a police SUV. York police took him to OPS headquarters to interrogate him and, after a number of hours in custody, Frey was charged with public mischief and launched with a promise to look in court docket in December.

The cost was laid after a four-month investigation. Round 15 folks have been interviewed, amongst them former Ottawapolice chief Vern White, now a senator. One different Ottawa officer who additionally claims he was assessed by a Frey imposter advised CBC he had additionally been interviewed by York investigators.

York police allege Frey falsely reported having been impersonated “by someone acting as a psychologist while treating a patient” between Sept. 21, 2007 and Oct. 25, 2007.

These dates correspond to the dates of Cadarette’s weekly fit-for-duty classes at a medical clinic on the College of Ottawa.

Frey beforehand advised CBC Information that after talking with Cadarette and her lawyer on Zoom final 12 months, he reported issues about potential fraud to the pinnacle of the OPS psychological wellness program in November 2020.

Following the printed of his CBC interview in June, Frey filed a second criticism to a provincial police watchdog, the Workplace of the Unbiased Police Assessment Director (OIPRD).

In that criticism, Frey alleged that he was impersonated in his skilled capability, probably by an officer of the Ottawa Police Service and additional alleged that OPS did not investigateuntil the matter was raised in a media report.

WATCH | ‘Nothing’s modified for us,’ Brauti says:

Many questions stay, Cadarette’s lawyer says

13 hours agoPeter Brauti says he is not clear how investigators concluded Dr. Ronald Frey, the psychologist who has denied writing an evaluation of his shopper for the Ottawa police, was not impersonated. 0:54

Lots of of purchasers

Frey, 53, has been a practising psychologist since 2000. In keeping with his resume he has labored with dozens of public- and private-sector purchasers. A lot of his work is with regulation enforcement companies, from municipal police companies to the Ontario Provincial Police and the RCMP. He has additionally assessed employees at Public Security Canada, the Canada Border Providers Company and the Division of Nationwide Defence.

Frey has carried out psychological evaluations of officers dealing with high-risk deployments. He assesses officers that suffer from traumatic stress on the job and evaluates whether or not they can return to work and carry a sidearm.

As a result of that is an ongoing investigation, Ottawa police Chief Peter Sloly declined to remark. However in a memo to workers, despatched after Frey was arrested, Sloly wrote:

“We realize the news of this arrest may have an effect on members who have either received treatment or been evaluated by him. Wellness supports are available for anyone impacted by these events.”

Cadarette declined to remark for this story, however her lawyer says York Regional Police have named her as a sufferer in its case in opposition to Frey. Investigators knowledgeable her of the general public mischief cost 5 hours after Frey was arrested.

In interviews with Cadarette’s legal professionals and with CBC, Frey has repeatedly denied assembly her and writing the fit-for-duty report.

“I want to be clear that I didn’t assess her,” stated Frey in his tv interview. He known as the strategies outlined within the report “atypical … unethical,” and expressed concern that what occurred to Cadarette was “probably criminal.”

Brauti says he is involved about what affect the stunning flip of occasions can have on his shopper. They thought of Frey a supporter — now he is been charged.

“If [Frey] wasn’t telling the truth, I mean, that traumatizes her even more. If he was telling the truth, he’s now been arrested and there is some further motive and potential conspiracy that’s going on. That can’t be good … no matter how this pans out.”

OPS referred requires additional remark to York investigators, who didn’t instantly reply.