French surgeon who sexually abused hundreds of children sentenced to 20 years

French ex-surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec has admitted sexually abusing hundreds of patients (Reuters)

A French court has sentenced Joël Le Scouarnec to 20 years in prison for sexually abusing at least 299 individuals—most of them children—over a 25-year period. Judge Aude Buresi described his acts as the "predation of the most vulnerable" and barred him from ever practicing medicine or contacting minors again. Le Scouarnec must serve two-thirds of his sentence before parole is considered, the New York Times reported.

The case is regarded as the largest of its kind in French legal history. Despite a prior conviction in 2005 for possessing child abuse images, Le Scouarnec was allowed to continue practicing medicine until his 2017 arrest. In 2020, he had already been sentenced to 15 years for sexually abusing four children, but the current sentence supersedes that, as France does not allow consecutive sentences.

Abuse uncovered through diaries and digital evidence

Authorities discovered the full extent of Le Scouarnec’s crimes after a neighbour reported him for exposing himself to a six-year-old. A police search of his home revealed dozens of hard drives containing child sexual abuse material, handwritten diaries detailing assaults, and spreadsheets listing victims’ names, ages, and the abuse inflicted.

Initially, Le Scouarnec denied many of the charges, calling them fantasies or medical procedures. But a month into the trial, he admitted to everything described in his writings and even suggested there may be more victims.

Victims left with trauma, self-doubt and unanswered questions

The victims, many of whom were sedated children recovering from surgery, often had no memory of the abuse. Police initiated contact with them years later, sparking psychological trauma, depression, and even suicide in at least two cases. Around 100 chose not to participate in the trial.

Those who did testified about their struggles to comprehend what had happened. Some said the revelations explained lifelong issues: anxiety, speech disorders, school bullying, and family strife. Many found it difficult to trust doctors or undergo medical procedures. Several parents spoke of guilt and disbelief, haunted by memories of leaving their children in Le Scouarnec’s care.

A muted response and a push for reform

Despite the scale of the abuse, many victims felt the case did not provoke the national outrage or legal reforms they hoped for. Less than two weeks before the verdict, 60 victims formed a collective to demand stronger protections against predatory doctors.

Throughout the trial, Le Scouarnec remained emotionless, often responding flatly and failing to recall most of his victims. Though he apologised, many doubted his sincerity. “You ruined my life,” one woman shouted in court. “Allow me to doubt the sincerity of your apologies for things you don’t even remember.”