Joel Le Scouarnec, a French surgeon, has admitted to sexually abusing 299 patients over a span of nearly three decades. The 74-year-old, already incarcerated for prior sexual abuse convictions, awaits sentencing in a court in western France.
Between 1989 and 2014, Le Scouarnec exploited his position by assaulting patients, many of whom were under anesthesia or recovering from surgery. A disturbing discovery during investigations included approximately 300,000 child sexual abuse images and detailed diaries chronicling his abuse of children and animals, with 256 victims under the age of 15.
Prosecutors have demanded the maximum 20-year sentence for aggravated rape. During the trial, Le Scouarnec accepted full responsibility, stating he deserved no leniency. However, his monotone apologies fueled skepticism about his remorse.
Questions remain about systemic failures that allowed him to continue practicing medicine despite previous convictions. In 2005, he received a four-month suspended sentence after his credit card was linked to purchasing child sexual abuse material online. Nevertheless, he was neither mandated to undergo treatment nor prohibited from medical practice. Even after a hospital colleague reported his dangerous history in 2006, he maintained employment in various French hospitals, including one where he disclosed his conviction but was hired regardless.
Le Scouarnec described himself during the trial as possessing two distinct personalities: a competent surgeon and a remorseless predator. The duality unraveled in 2017 after a neighbor accused him of indecent exposure and digital rape involving her child. Earlier allegations from family members dating back to the 1980s were previously unreported formally.
His ex-wife, Marie-France, who divorced him in 2023, denied awareness of his abusive behavior, contradicting his claim that she knew about the abuse since 1996.
Victim advocates emphasize the systemic lapses that facilitated the prolonged abuse. Marie Grimaud, representing multiple victims, urged the court to recognize the profound danger posed by Le Scouarnec’s actions.
The court verdict is expected imminently, marking a critical moment in addressing grave medical malpractice and abuse of trust in France.
