Criminal analyst in 400 cases 'was an unqualified fraud'
She was hailed as a respected psychologist whose evidence was pivotal in more than 400 trials in the Dordogne region of France.
Regine Labeur testified in criminal cases, explaining, for instance, the hidden character of serial rapists or the trauma suffered by families and friends of murder victims.
She also played a central role in many divorce cases, assessing the emotional stability of parents seeking the residency of their children. So when officials discovered that she had apparently never qualified as a psychologist, there was widespread stupefaction.
Mrs Labeur (53) a housewife, is accused of fooling judicial authorities with false certificates that went undiscovered for four years.
She has been placed under formal investigation on suspicion of fraud and usurping the title of psychologist and faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of €75,000.
Maitre Frederique Pohu-Panier, her lawyer, declined to comment on the allegations.
The inquiry is understood to have started when Mrs Labeur's husband, from whom she is divorcing, told police that she lacked qualifications.
"It's incomprehensible," Francoise Lorrin, another judicial psychologist in the Dordogne, said.
Competence
"When I applied, I submitted my degrees and also scientific publications, which prove your competence."
'Le Parisien' newspaper said there was no record that Mrs Labeur had published a single paper.
"Certain filters didn't work," Yves Squercioni, the state prosecutor in Perigueux in the Dordogne, said. "You can't become a judicial expert through improvisation."
Mr Squercioni ruled out a review of the cases, despite the fraud claims. However, a lawyer in the Dordogne said: "A number of us are looking at the possibility of lodging appeals. It is difficult because the French judicial system is always very reluctant to reopen cases."
The scandal is reminiscent of the French film 'Intimate Stranger', in which the actor Fabrice Luchini played a false psychoanalyst. It also highlights the importance of l'expert psychologue in the French judicial system.
Last month, for example, Mrs Labeur was called to Dordogne Criminal Court to tell the jury about Thierry Caballero, a serial rapist.
Her words were damning: "He is far removed from reality as far as his actions are concerned, he does not feel any remorse, he is incapable of controlling his urges."
According to 'Le Parisien', Mrs Labeur earned €60,000 a year for her reports for French justice. (© The Times, London)
- Adam Sage in Paris
