A registered psychologist who was not certified as a specialist has been charged with conducting 131 psychological assessments he was allegedly not authorized to perform, including 72 carrying forged signatures of specialist psychologists.
The reports were submitted to the Education Ministry to obtain educational accommodations and assistance for students, according to the indictment filed against Yosef Hanan’el, 73, of Tel Aviv, in the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court.
Prosecutors say the ministry allocated approximately NIS 12.5 million to the schools attended by students assessed by Hanan’el. The indictment says that he charged approximately NIS 2,000 for each assessment, while the ministry’s money was allocated to educational institutions.
Hanan’el holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology and was registered in the national Psychologists Registry, the indictment states. He did not, however, hold the title of specialist, was not undergoing an active specialization and had not received approval to begin one.
Under the rules described in the indictment, the psychological assessments at issue could be conducted only by a certified specialist or by a psychologist completing an approved specialization under supervision.
Therapist presented himself as qualified for assessments
Prosecutors allege that Hanan’el nevertheless presented himself to patients, parents and state authorities as qualified to perform the assessments and represented that his reports met the legal requirements.
The indictment describes two groups of assessments. Some were reviewed and signed by specialist psychologists who worked with Hanan’el. Prosecutors argue that those reports were still invalid because Hanan’el was not authorized to conduct or sign them, even with a specialist’s subsequent approval.
In other cases, the state alleges, Hanan’el continued using specialists’ signatures after their working relationships had ended. The signatures made the reports appear to have been reviewed and approved by experts who had not seen them, according to the indictment.
The state attributes 49 alleged forgeries to the signature of one educational psychologist, 22 to that of a clinical psychologist and one to a third specialist. Three assessments were allegedly signed by Hanan’el alone. The other specialists are identified only by initials.
The reports were given to parents, diagnostic institutes and educational institutions and were submitted to Education Ministry committees, either by Hanan’el, the students’ parents or the schools. The ministry subsequently granted some of the requested accommodations and allocated assistance budgets, prosecutors say.
Accommodations did not meet legal requirements
The indictment alleges that parents and students paid for assessments they believed were valid and that educational institutions acted on accommodations that did not meet the legal requirements. It further claims that some accommodations may not have matched the students’ needs and may have caused harm.
The first count charges Hanan’el with 72 counts of forgery intended to obtain a benefit under aggravated circumstances. It also includes 131 counts each of using a forged document, aggravated fraud, and performing professional work restricted to properly qualified psychologists.
A second count alleges that Hanan’el deliberately concealed approximately NIS 1.55 million in income from the Tax Authority between 2012 and 2021.
Prosecutors say he filed annual reports declaring no income during those years despite receiving payments as both an employee and a self-employed psychologist. Of the alleged unreported income, approximately NIS 1.3 million came from self-employment, according to the indictment.
Hanan’el is also accused of failing to maintain the required financial records and submitting a form to an employer in 2017 falsely stating that he had no additional income. The state alleges that the declaration was intended to prevent or reduce the tax withheld from his salary.
Prosecutors have notified the court that they may seek a prison sentence if Hanan’el is convicted.