US expels fake doctor

08.02.2002

The United States has deported self-styled and disgraced psychiatrist Linda Astor, who held senior health positions in New Zealand, back to her native Poland.

US immigration authorities confirmed yesterday that Astor, who was arrested late last year on matters believed to relate to outstanding debts and dishonesty offences, had been flown to her homeland.

She had been working at a substance abuse hospital and an adolescent welfare agency.

The acting deputy director of the Boston office of the US Immigration Service, Gary Cote, said of her removal: "It was uneventful. She did not want to speak to the press, and we had to respect her wishes."

Astor, who lied about her qualifications in psychiatry, misled the New Zealand Medical Council, Hutt Valley Health and Nelson Marlborough Health Services to gain work in New Zealand five years ago.

In 1996, she was responsible for the discharge from court-ordered treatment of Hutt Valley Health patient Leslie Parr.

Parr decapitated his girlfriend, Fiona Maulolo, the April the next year.

Astor, whose gender remains a mystery but is thought to be transsexual, was referred to by US immigration authorities as a transvestite.

Nelson Marlborough Health Services hired her in January 1997 to head Nelson's psychiatric services, but she left suddenly the following July.

News of Astor's arrest sparked calls in New Zealand for her extradition and the reopening of her police file.

Nelson MP Nick Smith called for her to be brought back to New Zealand to face fraud charges.

Nelson police investigated whether she should be brought back, but their recommendations have not been made public.

Dr Smith said yesterday that he had not heard anything from police national headquarters on the matter.

He was disappointed that Astor was now back in Poland, from where it would be more difficult to extradite her.

"The extradition treaty New Zealand has with the US means if the authorities here had got their act together, it would have been easier to get her back to New Zealand," he said.

None of the police involved in the investigation were available for comment.