The verdict in France’s largest child sexual abuse case will be delivered Wednesday, concluding a significant three-month trial. Former surgeon Joël Le Scouarnec, 74, faces up to 20 years in prison for sexually assaulting 299 victims, primarily children aged around 11, over three decades. Many assaults occurred while the victims were anesthetized or recovering from surgery. Le Scouarnec, who has acknowledged committing “hideous acts,” confessed to some of the charges, although not all.
Currently serving 15 years for raping four minors, his new sentence may run concurrently. Due to concerns raised by victim advocates about the potential for early release by 2030, prosecutors have suggested he be held in a supervised treatment center post-release. Notably, many victims do not recall their assaults, but police built a case against Le Scouarnec based on detailed digital diaries he kept.
The trial featured testimony from around a hundred witnesses, including Le Scouarnec’s niece, who detailed assaults from the early 1980s, but legal limitations prevented prosecution for those past incidents. French law bans sexual relations with minors under 15, yet advocates argue that many offenders escape charges.
This case highlights systemic failures within the French medical system, which allowed Le Scouarnec to practice despite facing previous warnings, including a 2005 conviction for child abuse imagery. Victim advocates are hopeful this high-profile case will lead to a reevaluation of how such allegations are pursued, particularly against medical professionals. As the trial unfolded, many victims followed proceedings from a remote auditorium due to overwhelming public interest, underscoring the case’s impact on societal views of child protection.
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