Joël Le Scouarnec, now aged 74, will face an extensive trial in Vannes, Brittany, that could last for four months. If found guilty, he could receive a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, which would be in addition to the 15-year sentence he is currently serving after a conviction in 2020 for sexually abusing children.
Although he acknowledges the allegations, Le Scouarnec claims to have gaps in his memory regarding some of the events. Certain survivors of the abuse have no recollection of the incidents, often due to being unconscious when the abuses took place.
This trial takes place against a backdrop of growing efforts by activists to eradicate the long-standing stigmas surrounding sexual abuse in France. A notable case has been that of Gisèle Pélicot, who was drugged and assaulted by her former husband, along with numerous other men who were sentenced to prison terms last December.
Child protection advocates, women’s rights organizations, and members of the medical community are planning a demonstration at the courthouse where Le Scouarnec will be tried.
The investigation into Le Scouarnec began in 2017 when a six-year-old girl from his neighborhood alleged that he had inappropriately touched her. Following this report, authorities searched his residence, leading to the discovery of over 300,000 photographs, hundreds of video files depicting child exploitation, and notebooks in which he identified himself as a pedophile while documenting his abusive actions.
In 2020, Le Scouarnec was convicted of rape and sexual assault involving four minors, including two of his nieces, culminating in a 15-year prison term. He had admitted to acts of child abuse dating back to 1985-1986; however, some incidents could not be legally pursued due to expired statutes of limitations.
The upcoming trial will address instances of abuse that allegedly occurred between 1989 and 2014, impacting 158 male and 141 female victims, all averaging 11 years old at the time. Reports indicate that the doctor perpetrated these abuses while the children were alone in their hospital rooms.
One of the victims, Amélie Lévêque, recounted her experience in a hospital at the age of nine in 1991, stating, “I remembered the post-operation, a surgeon who was quite mean. I cried a lot.” Years later, her feelings of despair intensified when she discovered her name in Le Scouarnec’s notebooks.
“That was the beginning of the answers to a lifetime of questions, and then it was the beginning of the descent into hell,” she expressed to public broadcaster France 3, describing how this experience shattered her perception of control over her life. “I fell into a deep depression… My family tried to help, but I felt completely alone.”
Le Scouarnec’s attorney, Thibaut Kurzawa, spoke to Sud-Ouest newspaper, asserting that his client would engage with the court and confront the circumstances of the allegations.
In 2005, Le Scouarnec was previously convicted for possessing and importing materials related to child sexual exploitation and was given a four-month suspended prison sentence. Despite this conviction, he was appointed as a hospital practitioner just a year later.
Various child protection organizations have opted to participate in the proceedings as civil parties in hopes of reforming legal frameworks to prevent similar abuses in the future.
