French Surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec Receives Maximum Prison Sentence for Decades of Child Abuse
French Court Hands Down Maximum Sentence to Surgeon for Sexual Abuse
A French court has sentenced Joel Le Scouarnec, a former surgeon, to a maximum 20-year jail term for sexually abusing hundreds of patients over more than two decades. This sentence follows a three-month trial that has brought into sharp relief the extent of his crimes and the pain inflicted on his victims. The case has sparked widespread concern over how such acts could go unnoticed for so long.
Le Scouarnec, now 74, had already been serving a 15-year sentence since 2020 for the rape and sexual assault of four children, including two of his nieces. The latest conviction involves aggravated rape charges, with the presiding judge noting the “particular gravity” due to the number of victims, their young ages, and the compulsive nature of his offenses. Despite this, the court denied a request to keep him under supervision after his release, citing his expressed “desire to make amends.”
The scale of Le Scouarnec’s offenses is staggering. During the trial in Vannes, Brittany, he admitted to sexually assaulting or raping 299 patients-256 of whom were under 15-between 1989 and 2014, often while they were under anesthesia. He faced charges related to 111 rapes and 189 sexual assaults. In an unsettling moment during the proceedings, he confessed to abusing his own granddaughter, though her case was not part of the trial.
Survivors gathered outside the courthouse in protest, displaying signs with messages like “Never again” and “I accuse you.” These signs represented not only those who had come forward but also “forgotten victims and those whose cases have been dismissed,” according to Manon Lemoine, one of Le Scouarnec’s victims.
Celine Mahuteau, another survivor, addressed President Emmanuel Macron in a letter highlighting France’s lack of a national policy to combat pedophilia. Her call for systemic change echoes frustrations felt by many over how long it took for Le Scouarnec’s actions to be addressed.
Throughout the trial, Le Scouarnec repeatedly asked for forgiveness-a gesture met with skepticism from many victims who questioned its sincerity. His admissions included self-descriptions as a “major pervert” and a “pedophile,” documented in meticulous notes about his victims. Incredibly, despite a previous conviction in 2005 linked to child sexual abuse material purchases online, he faced no restrictions on practicing medicine at that time.
The case has drawn comparisons to other high-profile abuse cases in France but has yet to generate equivalent national discourse. Health Minister Yannick Neuder pledged collaborative efforts with Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin to prevent similar failures in protecting patients and vulnerable children from predators like Le Scouarnec. As Neuder told France Info: “What we want to say is never again.”
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