The trial of Joël Le Scouarnec, a former French surgeon accused of sexually abusing hundreds of child patients over three decades, has begun in what is being described as one of the largest cases of medical sexual abuse in history.
The 74-year-old, who worked in hospitals across western France, is facing charges related to the rape and sexual abuse of 299 patients, most of whom were under the age of 15.
His crimes, meticulously documented in his handwritten “black books,” reveal a horrifying pattern of abuse that went unchecked for years.
The Discovery of a Serial Predator
Le Scouarnec’s crimes came to light in 2017 when a six-year-old girl told her parents that their neighbor had sexually abused her through a garden fence. A police search of his home led to the discovery of over 300,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse, along with his personal notebooks detailing the sexual assault of young patients.
These journals, which he referred to as his “paedophile letters,” provided investigators with evidence linking him to 299 victims, many of whom had no recollection of the abuse due to being under anesthesia.
Victims, now in their 30s and 40s, were contacted by police and shown the disturbing notes detailing their abuse. Many had undergone routine surgeries, such as appendectomies, and never suspected they had been violated.
One of them, Marie, who was 10 at the time of her surgery, was shocked when police informed her of what had happened. “There was my family name, my first name, age, the address of my parents, everything he did and how he felt,” she recalled.
Institutional Failures and Cover-Ups
Despite being convicted in 2005 for possessing child sexual abuse images, Le Scouarnec was allowed to continue practicing as a surgeon.
The French medical authorities and hospitals that employed him failed to take action, even when concerns were raised by colleagues. In 2006, a fellow doctor reported him to the medical board, yet no measures were taken to prevent him from working with children.
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His case highlights serious flaws in the healthcare system, where a convicted pedophile was permitted to treat vulnerable patients for years.
According to victims’ lawyers, if authorities had acted in 2004, many children could have been spared from abuse. Families of victims have criticized the silence and inaction of institutions that failed to protect their children from a known predator.
The Long Road to Justice
Le Scouarnec’s trial is expected to last four months and will focus on the extensive evidence found in his personal writings. Prosecutors argue that his systematic abuse was made possible by his position of power and the trust placed in him as a doctor.
Many victims were unaware of what had happened until police came to inform them, reopening traumatic wounds and forcing them to confront a past they never knew existed.
Despite overwhelming evidence, Le Scouarnec has denied the most serious charges of rape but has admitted to sexually assaulting some victims.
His lawyer claims he is prepared to face justice and take responsibility for his actions. The case has sparked outrage in France, prompting calls for stronger regulations to prevent similar abuses in the medical field.
The trial not only seeks justice for hundreds of victims but also raises urgent questions about accountability in healthcare institutions.
As France grapples with the scale of this case, survivors hope that exposing these crimes will lead to systemic changes that ensure no child falls victim to such horrific abuse again.
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