Brittany, France — Former surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec, 74, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after admitting to sexually abusing hundreds of patients, most of them children, over a span of 25 years. The ruling, delivered on Wednesday, marks the end of a harrowing trial that uncovered one of France’s most extensive cases of child abuse within the medical profession.
Le Scouarnec, already serving a 15-year sentence for prior convictions related to the rape and sexual assault of four children—including two of his nieces—stood in court wearing black, emotionless, as Judge Aude Burési handed down the verdict. The court noted that the former surgeon deliberately targeted vulnerable, unwell, and sedated victims, exploiting their inability to defend themselves.
A Pattern of Abuse Ignored for Years
The trial, which has been ongoing in Brittany since February, saw dozens of victims testify about how the abuse shaped their lives. The case revealed that 299 children and young adults had fallen prey to Le Scouarnec between 1989 and 2014, many of them under anesthesia or just regaining consciousness after medical procedures.
Evidence was unearthed in detailed diaries kept by the convicted paedophile, documenting graphic descriptions of his crimes. Many victims were unaware they had been assaulted until police used his own writings to track them down.
The prosecution argued that medical institutions had failed to prevent him from practicing, despite a prior conviction in 2005 for possession of paedophile images. The National Order of Doctors (Cnom) admitted in March that systemic failures had allowed Le Scouarnec to continue treating children despite prior suspicions.
A Call for Stricter Sentencing
While the 20-year sentence marks justice for the victims, legal experts and survivors argue that it does not reflect the full gravity of his crimes. Francesca Satta, a lawyer representing several victims, expressed disappointment, calling for France to review sentencing guidelines for large-scale child abuse cases.
Public outrage surrounding the trial was evident in protests near the courthouse on Wednesday. Victims and their families called for reforms in medical oversight, demanding accountability from institutions that allowed the surgeon to operate unchecked for decades.
“Justice has been served, but lessons have not been learned,” said The Victims of Joel Le Scouarnec Collective, an advocacy group pushing for reforms in medical safety protocols.
The Last Words of a Convicted Predator
In his final statement to the court, Le Scouarnec acknowledged the harm he caused but offered little comfort to victims. “I can no longer look at myself the same way because I am a paedophile and a child rapist,” he admitted. He further accepted responsibility for two victims who later died by suicide, citing the trauma they endured from his abuse.
Survivors, however, remained unimpressed with his demeanor, labeling his apologies as insincere. “His words are always the same, in the same tone,” said Louis-Marie, 35, one of his victims. “I don’t see any sincerity in them.”
While Le Scouarnec now faces decades behind bars, the broader implications of institutional failures and medical oversight remain a subject of national debate, raising the question: Could this have been prevented?
