A 74-year-old former surgeon, Joel Le Scouarnec, has admitted to committing “despicable acts” and understands the suffering caused to his alleged victims in a French child abuse trial. The trial, which is believed to be the largest child abuse case in French history, accuses Le Scouarnec of abusing hundreds of patients, mostly children under 15 years old, between 1989 and 2014.
Le Scouarnec’s defense team stated that he admitted to the “vast majority” of charges against him. He also acknowledged that his actions had a lasting impact on his victims’ lives. The court heard how Le Scouarnec logged assaults in diaries, which were used by police to identify his alleged victims.
Many of the plaintiffs suffered from psychological trauma and had no memory of the abuse due to being under anesthesia or recovering from surgeries. Some have said that their lives have been forever changed by the experience.
The trial has sparked debate about systemic failures that allowed Le Scouarnec to continue working with children. The FBI warned French authorities in 2005 that he had been accessing child abuse websites, but this did not result in any consequences for his work.
A group of lawyers and psychologists will be present throughout the trial, which is expected to run on a tight schedule until June. Some sessions will be held behind closed doors, while others will be open to journalists and members of the public.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr72v17z5jeo