Shock and Revulsion as French Surgeon Faces Trial for Sexual Abuse of 300 Children
In a case that has gripped France and the world, Joël Le Scouarnec, a former surgeon, has gone on trial for the alleged rape and sexual assault of nearly 300 victims—most of whom were children under his care.
This trial, which is already being labeled the largest pedophilia scandal in French history, is set to unravel a disturbing story of betrayal and abuse that spanned over 25 years, from 1989 to 2014.
Le Scouarnec, 74, stands accused of assaulting 299 victims, almost all of them young patients, with an average age of just 11 at the time of the abuse.
The allegations paint a chilling portrait of a trusted medical professional who used his position of authority to prey on vulnerable children while they were under anesthesia or in a weakened state following medical procedures. Many victims, unaware of the horrors they suffered, only came to remember the abuse years later, after police launched a full investigation.
The trial began this week in the picturesque coastal town of Vannes, Brittany, where the accused was led into the courtroom in handcuffs, his face marked by age but his demeanor unnervingly calm.
He appeared in court wearing a black vest, his bald head framed by a ring of white hair, answering questions with a slight, hoarse voice. When asked about his previous profession, he coldly replied, “Surgeon.”
Le Scouarnec’s case has shocked the nation not only because of its scale but because of the disturbing details that have emerged. The accused faces up to 20 years in prison, with no possibility of consecutive sentences in France.
Although he denies some of the most serious charges, he has admitted to touching patients inappropriately during medical examinations, which has led to him acknowledging his responsibility for a majority of the allegations.
