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Joël Le Scouarnec Sentenced to 20 Years for Decades of Sexual Abuse

Victims have criticized the court’s refusal to impose a ‘rétention de sûreté’, despite the order of a 15-year socio-judicial follow-up along with a lifetime ban on practicing medicine.

Overview

  • The Morbihan criminal court convicted the 74-year-old former surgeon for sexual violations against nearly 300 victims between 1989 and 2014, imposing the maximum 20-year prison term with a two-thirds security period.
  • Judges supplemented the sentence with a 15-year socio-judicial monitoring program and permanently barred Le Scouarnec from any medical practice or work involving minors.
  • The court declined prosecutors’ request for the rare post-sentence ‘rétention de sûreté’ measure, citing his advanced age and professed willingness to repair.
  • Survivors and advocacy groups denounced the verdict as insufficient, lamenting the lack of extended detention and calling for systemic reforms in medical oversight.
  • Prosecutors have indicated that new investigations are under way to examine additional victims, raising the prospect of further legal proceedings against Le Scouarnec.