Overview

• Joël Le Scouarnec confessed to raping or sexually assaulting 299 patients—mostly children averaging 11 years old—while they were sedated or asleep between 1989 and 2014.
• The Morbihan criminal court imposed the maximum 20-year term under aggravated rape laws, requiring Le Scouarnec to serve at least two-thirds before eligibility for release.
• Critics say health authorities ignored a 2005 child-pornography conviction that should have curtailed his medical license and prevented further harm.
• Already serving a concurrent 15-year sentence from a 2020 conviction for abusing four children, Le Scouarnec faces a likely third trial on additional allegations uncovered during this proceeding.
• Victims and advocacy groups argue the case demonstrates an urgent need for stricter oversight, preventive custody measures and legal reforms in medical settings.