Former French surgeon sentenced to twenty years in jail for raping, abusing lots of of sufferers

A bunch of alleged victims, members of girls’s collectives, NGOs and unions collect in entrance of the courthouse on the day of the decision of former surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec, charged with the aggravated rape and sexual assault in opposition to lots of of kids over a number of many years, in Vannes, Brittany, France, on Might 28, 2025.
| Photograph Credit score: Reuters

A 74-year-old former surgeon was given a most 20-year jail sentence on Wednesday (Might 28, 2025) by a French Court docket for the rape and sexual assault of lots of of sufferers, largely youngsters, over greater than 20 years.

Joël Le Scouarnec was sentenced after admitting molesting practically 300 victims in one of many nation’s largest-ever youngster intercourse abuse circumstances, which has raised questions on how he was in a position to abuse so many, for thus lengthy.

Judges adopted the general public prosecutor’s suggestions relating to the size of the sentence, and the felony courtroom of Morbihan, in western France, ordered that Le Scouarnec ought to serve not less than two-thirds of the punishment earlier than he might be eligible for launch, as a result of he stays harmful.

However the Court docket didn’t impose a post-sentence preventive detention, prompting the anger of many victims.

Solène Podevin Favre, president of an advocacy group for youngster victims of incest and different sexual crimes, expressed shock at a verdict “we would have anticipated to be much less lenient,” lamenting that post-sentence preventive detention was not imposed.

“It’s the utmost sentence, actually,” she stated. “However it’s the least we may have hoped for. But in six years, he may doubtlessly be launched. It’s staggering.”

Le Scouarnec, who has been jailed since 2017, is already serving a 15-year jail sentence, for a conviction in 2020 for the rape and sexual assault of 4 youngsters, together with two nieces. In French legislation, sentences run concurrently and Le Scouarnec ought to solely serve the extra years after the primary sentence is accomplished.

Put up-sentence preventive detention is a measure not often utilized in France that applies to the nation’s most harmful offenders. Had it been authorised, Le Scouarnec may have been held indefinitely in a safe socio-medical facility, even after serving his time.

“The Court docket totally understood the requests from the civil events that Mr. Le Scouarnec ought to by no means be launched from jail. It will be demagogic and illusory to make them imagine that that is potential,” the Court docket stated. “As issues stand, the legislation doesn’t enable it. And preventive detention, an distinctive measure, may by no means enable the Court docket to avoid this actuality.” Le Scouarnec’s lawyer stated his consumer will not enchantment the ruling.

The brand new trial started in February and laid naked a sample of abuse between 1989 and 2014. Many of the victims have been unconscious or sedated hospital sufferers on the time of the assaults. The common age was 11.

Le Scouarnec has confessed to all of the sexual abuse alleged by the civil events, in addition to to different assaults that are actually past the statute of limitations. In a stunning admission throughout the trial, he additionally acknowledged sexually abusing his granddaughter — an announcement made in entrance of her visibly distraught mother and father.

Throughout the trial, advocacy teams have accused well being authorities of inaction after they have been notified as early as 2005 of Le Scouarnec’s conviction for possessing youngster pornography footage. On the time, no measures have been taken to droop his medical license or restrict his contact with youngsters, and Le Scouarnec continued his abuse in hospitals till his arrest in 2017.

Baby safety teams hope that the case will assist strengthen the authorized framework to forestall such abuse.

Le Scouarnec’s trial got here as activists proceed to push to dismantle taboos which have lengthy surrounded sexual abuse in France. Probably the most outstanding case was that of Ms. Gisèle Pélicot, who was drugged and raped by her now ex-husband and dozens of different males who have been convicted and sentenced in December to a few to twenty years in jail.

In a separate case focussing on alleged abuse at a Catholic college, an inquiry fee of the Nationwide Meeting, France’s decrease home of Parliament, is investigating allegations of bodily and sexual abuse over 5 many years. Victims of Le Scouarnec have, nevertheless, complained of a perceived lack of consideration.

“This trial, which may have served as an open-air laboratory to reveal the intense failings of our establishments, appears to go away no mark on the federal government, the medical group, or society at giant,” a bunch of victims stated.

Not all victims have been initially conscious they’d been abused. Some have been contacted by investigators after their names appeared in journals saved by Le Scouarnec, by which he meticulously documented his crimes. Others solely realised they’d been hospitalised on the time after checking medical data. Two of his victims took their very own lives some years earlier than the trial.

Utilizing the quilt of medical procedures, the previous belly and digestive surgeon took benefit of moments when youngsters have been alone of their hospital rooms. His methodology was to disguise sexual abuse as scientific care, focusing on younger sufferers who have been unlikely to recollect the encounters.

The notebooks, which element the abuse in graphic language, have develop into central to the prosecution’s case. Regardless of the scope of the allegations, Le Scouarnec remained calm and composed all through the trial.

“I didn’t see them as individuals,” he advised the Court docket. “They have been the vacation spot of my fantasies. Because the trial went on, I started to see them as people, with feelings, anger, struggling and misery.” He stated his first act of abuse occurred in 1985, when he raped his 5-year-old niece. Whereas he supplied apologies to some victims, his demeanor struck many as indifferent and impassive.

The Court docket, nevertheless, famous that Le Scouarnec “made some extent of taking duty for his actions,” demonstrating “his intention to make amends for the implications of his actions.”

The case first got here to mild in April 2017, when a 6-year-old neighbour advised her mom that the person subsequent door had uncovered himself and touched her by means of the fence separating their properties. A search of his residence uncovered greater than 3,00,000 images, 650 video information, in addition to notebooks the place he described himself as a pedophile and detailed his actions.

A 3rd trial is anticipated within the coming years, following the emergence of recent allegations throughout this trial, together with additional abuse involving his granddaughter.