A former surgeon, Joël Le Scouarnec, 74, is on trial in western France for raping or sexually assaulting 299 people, mostly children, over 25 years. The case is considered one of the largest pedophilia cases in French history.
Le Scouarnec, who has already been convicted twice, faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. He acknowledged responsibility for some of the alleged abuse and expressed remorse to the court. The trial is expected to last nearly four months, with hundreds of people attending, including victims, their families, lawyers, and journalists.
The case began in 1989 and spans Le Scouarnec’s career in various clinics and hospitals across western France. Many of the victims were children at the time of the alleged abuse, with an average age of 11. The prosecution has presented evidence, including diaries and spreadsheets detailing the sexual abuse of individual children.
The trial comes just two months after a similar case in which dozens of men were convicted of raping Gisèle Pelicot. It is expected to raise questions about the extent of sex crimes in France.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/24/world/europe/france-surgeon-trial-patient-abuse-le-scouarnec.html