Joel Le Scouarnec, a former French surgeon, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for sexually abusing hundreds of patients, mostly children, over a period of 25 years. The abuse took place between 1989 and 2014.
Le Scouarnec admitted to the crimes in court. Many of his victims were vulnerable patients, some sedated or waking up from operations when the abuse happened. The judge called the case especially serious because he targeted sick and defenseless children.
Le Scouarnec, 74, showed little emotion as the sentence was read. He has already served seven years in jail and may be eligible for parole by 2030. He had previously been sentenced to 15 years in 2020 for abusing four children, including two of his nieces.
The victims have expressed anger that the sentence feels too short given the number of people harmed. One victim said it upset her to think he could one day be free, while a lawyer for the victims called for stronger laws and harsher punishments.
During the trial, dozens of victims shared how the abuse affected their lives. Le Scouarnec kept detailed diaries describing the assaults, which helped police find many victims who had no memory of the attacks.
Le Scouarnec apologized in court and said he felt responsible for the suffering he caused. He also admitted responsibility for two victims who died by suicide after the abuse.
The case has caused public outrage in France. People are angry that Le Scouarnec continued to work as a doctor for many years, even after being convicted in 2005 for possessing illegal paedophile images.
Victims and their families say the medical community and politicians failed to stop him sooner. A group representing the victims criticized society for not learning lessons from this case.
Le Scouarnec’s lawyer said his client was sincere in his apologies but blamed the medical system for allowing the abuse to continue.
The National Order of Doctors, which oversees medical professionals in France, admitted it should have stopped Le Scouarnec from practicing and expressed deep regret for the failures.
The trial lasted 14 weeks and ended with the court delivering the maximum sentence of 20 years in jail.
