French Surgeon on Trial for Abusing 299 Patients as Investigations Expand

Joël Le Scouarnec, already convicted in 2020, faces new charges while authorities work to identify more victims from his detailed diaries.

Joël Le Scouarnec, a former surgeon, is accused of sexually abusing 299 patients, most of them children, during his medical career in western France.
The ongoing trial in Rennes follows his 2020 conviction for abusing four girls, for which he received a 15-year prison sentence.
Investigators discovered diaries meticulously documenting hundreds of abuse cases, with some victims still unidentified and uncontacted.
French authorities have launched new investigations to find additional victims, and a foundation has called for the release of his full patient list to aid the process.
If convicted in this trial, Le Scouarnec could face up to 20 years in prison for his crimes.