Former surgeon receives 20-year prison sentence as France concludes its largest child sexual abuse trial.
Joël Le Scouarnec, a former surgeon, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Wednesday, marking the conclusion of a three-month-long trial concerning France’s largest child sexual abuse case. Le Scouarnec, aged 74, was convicted of sexually assaulting 299 victims over a span of three decades, predominantly children whose average age was 11. Many of these assaults occurred while his victims were under anesthesia or recovering from surgery, according to prosecutors. During the trial held in Vannes, Brittany, Le Scouarnec confessed to committing “hideous acts” and acknowledged the full extent of the charges against him.
In his closing statement, he expressed no desire for leniency, stating, “simply grant me the right to become a better person.”
His current sentence will run concurrently with a previous 15-year term imposed after he was found guilty in 2020 of raping a young neighbor and three other children. The court determined that Le Scouarnec’s new sentence would not be adjustable until he has served two-thirds of it to minimize the risk of recidivism. A request was made by the prosecution for him to be supervised in a treatment center post-release due to concerns about the possibility of his early release by 2030. Hundreds of witnesses, including Le Scouarnec’s niece and a family friend, testified during the trial, recounting assaults from the early 1980s.
However, because these incidents occurred too long ago, they could not be prosecuted under French law. Victim advocates criticized the French medical system for allowing Le Scouarnec, who had a previous conviction in 2005 for child abuse images, to continue working in hospitals across multiple regions. They hope this case will spur reform in how allegations of child abuse, particularly against medical professionals, are handled. Many victims attended the trial through a video link, as the courthouse could not accommodate the large number of spectators.