VANNES, France — A former surgeon is scheduled to go on trial in France for the alleged sexual assault and abuse of 299 individuals, the majority of whom were children under his care. This extensive pattern of violence is said to have persisted for over thirty years, as indicated by investigators and Le Scouarnec’s own recorded notes.
Joël Le Scouarnec, now aged 74, will confront numerous victims during a lengthy four-month trial in Vannes, located in Brittany. If found guilty, he could face a sentence of up to 20 additional years in prison, on top of the 15 years he has already been serving. This prior sentence followed his 2020 conviction for the rape and sexual assault of minors.
While Le Scouarnec does not dispute the accusations against him, he has mentioned that his memory of certain incidents is not complete. Some victims have reported having no recollection of their assaults due to being incapacitated during the events.
This trial occurs at a time when activists are striving to break the silence surrounding sexual abuse in France. One notable case that has gained attention involves Gisèle Pélicot, who was drugged and assaulted by her former husband along with multiple other men, leading to prison sentences for those convicted, which ranged from three to 20 years.
As the trial approaches, advocacy groups focusing on child protection and women’s rights, along with various medical associations, have organized a rally scheduled to take place outside the courthouse where Le Scouarnec will stand trial.
The legal proceedings began in 2017 when a six-year-old girl from the neighborhood reported that Le Scouarnec had inappropriately touched her through the fence separating their properties. Following this initial report, an investigation uncovered alarming evidence in his home, including over 300,000 photographs, and numerous pedophilic and illegal video files. Authorities also discovered notebooks where Le Scouarnec referred to himself as a pedophile and chronicled his actions.
In 2020, he was found guilty of raping and sexually assaulting four children, including two of his own nieces, resulting in a 15-year prison sentence. Although he acknowledged history of abuse going back to 1985-1986, some cases were not prosecutable due to the expiration of the statute of limitations.
The upcoming trial in Vannes will focus on alleged assaults that took place between 1989 and 2014, targeting 158 males and 141 females who had an average age of 11 at the time of the incidents. Investigation records detail how the doctor preyed on both young boys and girls when they were alone in their hospital rooms.
One victim, Amélie Lévêque, recalled her traumatic experience in the hospital at age nine in 1991, stating, “I didn’t remember much of the operation, but the post-operation stage was traumatic with a surgeon who was quite mean.” Following a painful revelation that her name appeared in Le Scouarnec’s notes, she expressed how this realization began to unravel years of unanswered questions, plunging her into a deep depression. “I felt completely alone,” she explained, highlighting the emotional aftermath of confronting her past.
Le Scouarnec’s lawyer, Thibaut Kurzawa, has stated that his client is prepared to “respond to the judges’ inquiries” as he chooses to “face reality.” Le Scouarnec has a history of legal troubles, previously convicted in 2005 for possessing and importing child sexual abuse materials, for which he served a four-month suspended sentence. Despite this, he was still appointed to a hospital role the following year.
Various child protection groups have joined the trial as civil parties, advocating for stricter legal measures to prevent such heinous acts from occurring in the future.
