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BPS Psychologist Johann Korf-Labuschagne: "I often spontaneously have the desire to touch you, feel your hands,
arms and face. I have the desire to take your hand and put it on my cheek.
I have the need for you to stand behind me and just put your arms around
me, and I often have the need to do this when you are around." “In spite of having had at least three official complaints against him and statements from multiple witnesses attesting to their feeling bullied, humiliated, harassed or having their confidentiality seriously breached, Johann Korf-Labuschagne remains free to practice as a BPS registered clinical psychologist in the UK within the NHS and in private practice” The following story is a harrowing account of alleged sexual harassment of a psychotherapy trainee in the NHS. The details reported in the article are based on witness testimony and the facts contained in submitted documents, which are available for court inspection. Johann Korf-Labuschagne is a South African, homosexual clinical psychologist and member of British Psychological Society (BPS). In 2004 a complaint was brought against him by a heterosexual male trainee psychotherapist he had been supervising. The supervisee reported a four-year period of alleged harassment, sexual harassment and bullying by Johann Korf-Labuschagne whilst they were both employed within the NHS in England where Johann Korf-Labuschagne occupied the role of Professional Head of Psychology. Gross Misconduct Johann Korf-Labuschagne was accused of attempting to solicit a sexual relationship and soliciting a dual relationship with a junior staff member [X] who was a trainee psychotherapist under his supervision. An investigation by the NHS Trust revealed evidence of “gross misconduct” by Johann Korf-Labuschagne including a variety of policy and ethical breaches, which included sexual harassment and multiple breaches of confidentiality. Johann Korf-Labuschagne resigned prior to a scheduled disciplinary hearing in August 2005, effectively evading disciplinary action by the NHS. Johann Korf-Labuschagne (also known by two other names, ‘Gerhardus Johannes Korf’ and ‘Johann Korf’) was Head of the Clinical Psychology department when X, a trainee psychotherapist in his first year of training, joined the NHS Trust in England. X claimed that Johann Korf-Labuschagne expressed a sexual attraction towards him during a session of clinical supervision*; a claim that was supported by the NHS Trust investigation panel in 2005, which stated that “an expression of sexual interest [by Johann Korf-Labuschagne] did take place”. Johann Korf-Labuschagne later denied that this sexual interest had been expressed, contrary to testimony from another psychologist and friend of Johann Korf-Labuschagne, Mary Locke (herself a BPS member) who, on a number of occasions had said that Johann Korf-Labuschagne had spoken to her of ‘fancying’ X. An NHS report, leaked by a contact at the British Psychological Society (BPS) stated: “Johann [Korf-Labuschagne] suggested that his purpose for making a pass at X was actually ethical. Mary Locke confirmed to X that Johann [Korf-Labuschagne] had told her that he "fancied" X.” Both Mary Locke (who has herself had two separate complaints made against her by NHS staff members) and Johann Korf-Labuschagne later denied such admissions to the British Psychological Society. In an NHS Trust interview, Mary Locke attempted to change her story by suggesting that the word ‘fancied’ did not mean ‘sexually attracted to’. A complaint was made to the British Psychological Society in pursuit of justice regarding the ethical breaches uncovered by the NHS. Despite an eighteen-month window, NHS evidence was submitted late to the BPS investigation. The BPS then refused to include this evidence within the hearing, claiming that “this would be unfair to Johann Korf-Labuschagne”. However, substantial written evidence was submitted to the BPS by various individuals illustrating the apparent sexual nature of Johann Korf-Labuschagne’s interest and alleged exploitation of his supervisee, in for example, emails and letters sent by Johann Korf-Labuschagne. He also admitted to several attempts at physical contact (unwanted by X) including grabbing X's genitals, but denied that any touching was sexually motivated. Testimony from other NHS Trust employees also suggested a pattern of bullying, humiliation and manipulation from Johann Korf-Labuschagne towards them whilst he occupied the position of Head of Clinical Psychology. Evasive Evidence The prosecuting barrister for the BPS described Johann Korf-Labuschagne as providing "evasive evidence" during the public hearing as Johann Korf-Labuschagne repeatedly denied actions to which he had earlier admitted and which had been documented in writing. Johann Korf-Labuschagne also did not deny having written what he called an eleven page "love letter" containing graphic details of his desire to "sexualise" his feelings towards his supervisee, stating to X "It is so much easier to sexualise this [X]. And this is what I have done when you told me that you are straight." And, speaking of his sexual frustrations towards X, "I was especially struck by my almost incontrollable urge to sexualise my agony." Johann Korf-Labuschagne also wrote to X - who was openly heterosexual and who was abroad with his girlfriend at the time - "I often spontaneously have the desire to touch you, feel your hands, arms and face. I have the desire to take your hand and put it on my cheek. I have the need for you to stand behind me and just put your arms around me, and I often have the need to do this when you are around." In this letter, Johann Korf-Labuschagne describes in detail his efforts years earlier to attract the attentions and 'intimacy' of another male who was similarly involved in a heterosexual relationship, which eventually led to the male and female couple's partnership ending. Other evidence submitted to the BPS involved Johann Korf-Labuschagne writing personal emails to X encouraging X to write a complaint about his college tutor, which Johann Korf-Labuschagne later used during the BPS public hearing in an apparent effort to undermine X's credibility. Johann Korf-Labuschagne also encouraged X to create and send to him by email a personal, uncensored diary of X's childhood experiences, the suggestion being that this would be therapeutically useful to X whilst X was undergoing a breakdown due to the stress he was suffering. In more than one email, Johann Korf-Labuschagne also referred to the Chief Executive of the NHS Trust in which he was then Professional Head of Psychology in profane terms, calling her, for example, "a fat arsed c**t". Johann Korf-Labuschagne also admitted to engaging X in clinical supervision sessions, whilst X was a trainee psychotherapist, at Johann Korf-Labuschagne's house whilst Johann Korf-Labuschagne was on extended sick leave. Korf-Labuschagne’s told his other supervisees, by contrast, to seek supervisory support elsewhere. Despite a huge well of damning evidence in support of the charges against Johann Korf-Labuschagne, which included harassing and sexual harassing X, on November 9, 2007 at the conclusion of the BPS public hearing, the Conduct Committee (comprised of an accountant, a hearing-impaired retired GP and an ex-BPS president) dismissed the charges. The retired GP’s ability to physically hear the testimony of the trial was apparently so impaired that witnesses were asked to repeat themselves. The BPS appear to have accepted Johann Korf-Labuschagne claims that his actions were in pursuit of ‘emotional intimacy’, in spite of a number of written communications and admissions to physical contact by him indicating the reverse. Code of Conduct The British Psychological Society, Code of Conduct for Psychologists clearly states that: Section 5. Personal Conduct Psychologists shall: 5.3 “not exploit any relationship of influence or trust which exists between colleagues, those under their tuition, or those in receipt of their services to further the gratification of their personal desires.” 5.4 “not allow their professional responsibilities or standards of practice to be diminished by considerations of […] self-interest.” The BPS Codes of Conduct go on to state: Section 3 5.4 It is important to note that an individual may be guilty of harassment despite the absence of any intention to offend, because it is the effect upon the recipient which defines it as a problem. Bullying and Breaching Confidentiality Others who submitted statements attesting to being bullied, humiliated or having their confidentiality breached by Johann Korf-Labuschagne maintain that they were mistreated by him. Johann Korf-Labuschagne also admitted that a previous complaint had been made against him by another supervisee some years earlier, to which he added a discrediting comment about her state of mental health. One witness commented: “The British Psychological Society have made an absolutely corrupt judgment in accepting Johann Korf-Labuschagne’s version of events. They have ignored evidence that, in my opinion, clearly shows he has breached their ethics. In doing so, the BPS have sent a message to the public which says that BPS psychologists who don't confess to wrongdoing can successfully avoid any penalty by simply denying it. Any survey of the outcomes of BPS Conduct Committee Hearings will show a pattern of psychologists receiving minor punishment when they admit to wrongdoing when typically those who deny any wrongdoing have their charges dismissed. My experience over the last seven years has told me that there is something deeply wrong with this man and the BPS have refused to recognise this. I've never experienced anything so disturbing in all my life as what I went through with Johann Korf-Labuschagne. I believe vulnerable or sensitive people such as students, trainees and NHS patients are even more at risk now that the BPS have validated this kind of behaviour. He led me to believe that he was a friend and I trusted him as my supervisor. It wasn’t until 2004 that I realized I had become the hapless victim of a weird kind of grooming, exploitation and relentless out-doing and misappropriation of my identity. I realised I had been manipulated by Johann Korf-Labuschagne whilst I occupied the most lowly position in the NHS as a trainee when he himself held the greatest power in the psychology department. He has a talent for persuading people of his version of events, especially when he is put under scrutiny, but the reverse is often actually true. Because he's had years of practice at this, he can act and sound very logical and objective, and the veneer of professionalism is what originally fooled me and has now obviously appealed to the BPS committee. By contrast, I was in tears, distressed, as any abused person would be for much of that hearing. I left the hearing each night disturbed after reliving the sickening reality of what I put up with from him, only this time suffering the additional indignity of being put under constant attack by his lawyers. I was ‘ordered’ to provide access to my private diaries and medical records, which were read by everyone there. In the end, the BPS hear what they prefer to hear and evidently the ugly truth I had to say didn't sit comfortably with their sensibilities because it's inconceivable for some people to think that psychologists are capable of any form of malevolence or self-interest. This outcome is a tragedy for psychology in the UK because it shows that the 'old boys club' mentality of closing ranks is still alive and well and just as rotten from the inside as it's always been. Codes of ethics are a form of window-dressing for the BPS and they can manipulate them in whatever way suits the prevailing political interests. I have no doubt whatsoever that people finding themselves under the authority or direction of Johann Korf-Labuschagne could well become vulnerable and disturbed eventually. Particularly now with the apparent consent of the British Psychological Society.” The BPS: See No Evil, Hear No Evil... The British Psychological Society’s refusal to penalise or reprimand Johann Korf-Labuschagne in any way in the face of witness testimony and material evidence raises questions about both the practical value of their codes of conduct and the degree of impartiality employed in maintaining its own ethical standards. Additionally, given the outcome of this case, one naturally questions the effectiveness of the British Psychological Society's ability to both properly police itself and to prosecute complaints against its members with fairness and justification. One also must query the degree of consideration the British Psychological Society give to the distress suffered by victims of its psychologists. In the above case the main witness's distress was significant enough for him to have a complete mental breakdown and to suffer years of physical illness as a result of the stress he was under. The BPS hold mock trials open to the public and using quasi-legal systems employing barristers, which gives the appearance of thoroughness, objectivity and judicial rigor. However, the committee of three persons who sit in judgment of such cases is chosen by the BPS; and include past presidents of the BPS who clearly have a vested interest in keeping the image of psychology untarnished. This is particularly crucial given the BPS’s relentless political efforts to ensure that psychology pervades every corner of our everyday lives, as can be seen in psychology’s take-over of the NHS in recent years. The individuals installed by the BPS on their committee hearings are therefore not democratically elected nor appointed nor regulated by the Crown but are still permitted to occupy positions in keeping with the political interests of the BPS. The BPS’s pseudo-independent committee thus effectively dictates the degree of acceptable risk to members of the public who use the services of and sometimes fall foul of BPS psychologists. Philip Partridge – an accountant – often chairs BPS Committee Hearings and one naturally questions the relevance of accountancy to matters involving alleged sexual harassment. In any case, as with any heavily bureaucratic process built upon the dismissal of emotions, the actual felt reality and suffering of the victims of ethical breaches is eroded by legal jargon into something sterile, dehumanised and far removed from the squalid acts which characterise alleged sexual harassment. The consequence is that all too often an appreciation of the mental state and felt distress of victims is completely obliterated by a process weighted towards the swordsmanship of technical language rather than the human suffering which ethical codes are supposed to prevent; Such a simplification and reduction of the greater, more complex human realities being something of which exploitative, narcissistic individuals have been well-known to take advantage (link). Institutional Narcissism Further questions may be asked of the broader structures within institutions such as the BPS, which appear to allow narcissistic exploitation to take place unchallenged and, once revealed, to go unpunished. The dearth of sophistication in the institution’s analysis - if not its simple awareness - of the malignant narcissistic behaviour in the above case appears to permit the typical abuses and interpersonal exploitation by narcissistic psychologists to positively flourish, as any brief internet search on victims of narcissistic abuse will illustrate. Narcissistic exploitation is not a vivid concept in the public mind at present and narcissists typically occupy high-profile jobs, which afford them the status and power to take advantage of the vulnerabilities of subordinates. The goal of the narcissist is to acquire everything that is of value in the other person whilst reinforcing in their victims a sense of inferiority, blame or failure. Johann Korf-Labuschagne was promoted twice whilst he was employed in the NHS, and finally to Professional Head of Psychology whilst the alleged abuses were taking place. At that time, psychology vacancies were so hard to fill in some parts of the NHS, that recruiters were seeking candidates from abroad, in this case South Africa - a country well known for its abuses and exploitation of the underclasses under Apartheid as it placed a white, racist minority in a superior position to the indigenous peoples. In a BPS publication** Johann Korf-Labuschagne is reported as having been appointed to Deputy Chair of the South Thames Clinical Psychology Training Committee of the Salomons Centre***. This document is dated September 2005; a year after the BPS received the complaint and only one month after he resigned from the NHS. This is particularly ironic in view of the British Psychological Society’s handling and eventual dismissal of the case two years later, when an institution, so keen to promote itself as ethical, claims to ‘take complaints against psychologists very seriously’ whilst simultaneously promoting the careers of those psychologists against which complaints have been made. As one witness stated: “The conclusion to Johann Korf-Labuschagne’s hearing sends a message to the public that the kind of distress which is consistent with that suffered by the victims of an exploitative, narcissistic personality disordered person is of little concern to the BPS. Narcissistic abuse and exploitation sits either beyond the scrutiny and expertise of the British Psychological Society or appears to be actively condoned by it within a culture of institutional narcissism and pathological self-promotion.” If this is the case, then the precedent set by this particular outcome presents the public with an image that few enlightened users of psychology will fail to note, since the BPS itself in this instance appears to have 'brought the profession of psychology into disrepute' by failing in its duty of care to the public. Unfortunately, the general public are rarely given details of Conduct Committee Hearings and their decisions, provided instead with summaries on their website and “The Psychologist” magazine that invariably present a favourable view of the BPS and its members as ethically upstanding. Interestingly enough, the hearing decision scheduled to be published by the BPS in December 2007, has yet to be seen by the public. One wonders whether more strategising and corporate denials will be forthcoming in the wake of this case being exposed against the political interests of the BPS. Having resigned his position, thereby evading disciplinary action, it was rumoured that Korf-Labuschagne received a financial settlement and promise of an employment reference from the NHS Trust which employed him. If true this would then allow him unfettered application to other NHS and non-NHS posts around the UK and thus Korf-Labuschagne retains the power to adversely influence the lives of trainees, staff and patients oblivious to his history or personal agenda. In spite of having had at least three official complaints against him to date, and statements from multiple witnesses attesting to their feeling bullied, humiliated, harassed or having their confidentiality seriously breached, Johann Korf-Labuschagne remains free to practice as a BPS registered clinical psychologist in the UK within the NHS and in private practice. * The details reported in the above article are based on witness testimony and the facts contained in submitted documents, which are available for court inspection. ** Click here to read publication ***Training centre in south east England for psychologists Related Links 1. British Psychological Society 2. British Psychological Society Wikipedia 3. British Psychological Society – The Secret of the Brotherhood
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