VANNES, France — A former doctor is scheduled to go on trial in France starting Monday for his alleged involvement in the sexual abuse or rape of 299 victims, predominantly children who were under his care. This case, described by investigators and the contents of his personal notebooks, reveals a disturbing pattern of violation extending over a timeline of more than thirty years.
Joël Le Scouarnec, aged 74, will confront hundreds of alleged victims during a trial expected to unfold over a four-month period in Vannes, Brittany. If found guilty, he could face a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, adding to a 15-year term he is currently serving following his 2020 conviction for child rape and sexual assault.
While Le Scouarnec does not contest the charges, he claims to have lapses in memory regarding the events. Many survivors also lack recollection of the incidents, having been rendered unconscious at the time of abuse. His trial occurs amid ongoing movements advocating for the dismantling of long-held taboos around sexual violence in France. A notable case underscoring these efforts involved Gisèle Pélicot, who was drugged and raped by her ex-husband, among others; offenders in her case were sentenced to terms between three and 20 years.
Child protection advocates, women’s rights organizations, and associations related to the medical community have organized a rally outside the courthouse where Le Scouarnec will be tried. This high-profile case originated in 2017, triggered by the disclosure of a 6-year-old girl in the neighborhood, who claimed that Le Scouarnec had inappropriately touched her through the barrier separating their properties.
Afterward, a search of his residence revealed a shocking cache of over 300,000 photographs, along with 650 video files depicting pedophilic, zoophilic, and scatological content, as well as diaries where he had referred to himself as a pedophile while detailing his misconduct, according to investigative reports.
In 2020, he was sentenced to 15 years after being convicted of sexual assault and rape concerning four minors, including two of his nieces. He admitted to instances of child abuse dating back to 1985-1986; however, some abuse cases could not be pursued due to the expiration of the statute of limitations.
The upcoming Vannes trial will focus on accusations of rape and other types of abuse that allegedly took place between 1989 and 2014, affecting 158 males and 141 females, with the average age being 11 at the time of the incidents. The former surgeon reportedly sexually exploited both boys and girls while they were alone in their hospital rooms, as outlined in investigative findings.
“I didn’t really remember the operation. I remembered the post-operation, a surgeon who was quite mean,” stated victim Amélie Lévêque, who recounted her experience at the hospital when she was 9 years old in 1991, adding, “I cried a lot.” Years later, she expressed her distress upon discovering 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 explained to France 3. “I felt like I had lost control of everything. I wasn’t crazy, but now I had to face the truth of what had happened.”
Describing her struggle, Lévêque shared, “I fell into a deep depression. … My family tried to help, but I felt completely alone.”
Le Scouarnec’s attorney, Thibaut Kurzawa, assured the media that his client is prepared to “answer the judges’ questions” as he opted to confront the reality of his actions. Notably, Le Scouarnec had previously been convicted in 2005 for possessing and importing child sexual abuse materials, which resulted in a four-month suspended sentence. Nevertheless, he was appointed as a practitioner at a hospital the following year.
Several child protection organizations have joined the case as civil parties, aiming to advocate for stricter legal measures to curb such abuses moving forward.
