Joel Le Scouarnec, a 74-year-old retired French surgeon, was sentenced to 20 years in prison after being found guilty of sexually abusing 299 victims, mostly children, over a period spanning more than two decades (1989–2014).
Le Scouarnec preyed on vulnerable patients, often unconscious or sedated, across public hospitals in western France. The abuse was meticulously documented in his personal diaries, enabling investigators to identify many victims, some of whom had no memory of the abuse during hospital stays. Despite a 2005 conviction for possessing child abuse material, Le Scouarnec was allowed to continue working, raising questions about the failures of French health authorities and the medical establishment.
Le Scouarnec, who is already serving a 15-year sentence from a 2020 conviction for sexually assaulting four children, including two nieces, confessed to all charges, expressed remorse, and acknowledged the irreparable harm caused. However, victims and observers noted his emotionless demeanor and questioned the sincerity of his apologies. The court barred him from practicing medicine and placed him on the sex offender register.
