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last mo.

French Courts Sentence Ex-Surgeon Le Scouarnec to 20 Years for Abuse of 299 Patients

The sentence arrives after a trial that exposed failures across France’s healthcare system alongside shortcomings in the judiciary in identifying and blocking a serial child abuser.

This courtroom sketch by Valentin Pasquier shows Joel Le Scouarnec, now 74, sitting in courtroom and accused of raping or abusing 299 people, mostly child patients. | Image: AP
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Survivors of French surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec's abuse staged a protest outside the court in Vannes in the western region of Brittany, holding signs such as "Never again" and "I accuse you"

Overview

  • Joël Le Scouarnec admitted to raping or sexually assaulting 299 patients, including 256 children under age 15, often while victims were unconscious or under anesthesia during procedures.
  • A 2005 suspended sentence for possessing child pornography did not revoke his medical license, allowing him to continue treating and abusing patients until his retirement in 2017.
  • Investigators seized notebooks and digital files detailing his crimes, which formed the backbone of evidence and led to the identification of hundreds of previously unknown victims.
  • While judges imposed the maximum 20-year term, they rejected a rare prosecutorial request to confine him in a treatment center under supervision after his prison sentence.
  • Survivors and child rights advocates are calling for mandatory background checks, stronger reporting requirements and tighter judicial oversight to prevent similar abuse in hospitals.