French surgeon sentenced to 20 years for abusing children

French surgeon sentenced to 20 years for abusing children

A French court on Wednesday gave the maximum 20-year jail term to a surgeon who admitted sexually abusing hundreds of patients, most of them children, but victims, some in tears, expressed disappointment with the verdict.

The three-month trial of Joel Le Scouarnec, 74, has brought to light the extent of his crimes and the suffering of his victims but also raised questions about why more was not done sooner to stop him.

Le Scouarnec, one of the most prolific convicted sex predators in France's history, was already in prison after being sentenced in 2020 to 15 years for raping and sexually assaulting four children, including two of his nieces.

The 20-year sentence handed down by presiding judge Aude Buresi was the maximum that could be given on the charge of aggravated rape in France, where sentences are not added together on individual counts.

Le Scouarnec will not be able to ask for parole until two-thirds of his sentence is served.

But the court in Vannes in the western region of Brittany rejected a rare demand from prosecutors that he should be held in a centre for treatment and supervision even after any release.

The court cited his age and his "desire to make amends".

Wearing a black jacket, Le Scouarnec listened to the verdict without flinching.

Cries of "shame on the justice system" rang out in a separate room where victims watched the proceedings on a video screen, according to two sources.

"What a disappointment!" one of the victims, Manon Lemoine, said outside the courthouse, fighting back tears.

Some of the survivors of the retired surgeon's abuse shared a tearful embrace.

Another victim, Amelie Leveque, said she felt "humiliated by this verdict".

Child rights advocates say the case highlights systemic failures that allowed Le Scouarnec to repeatedly commit sexual crimes.

- 'Forgotten victims' -

Le Scouarnec was also banned from contact with minors and practising medicine.

He will not appeal his conviction, said his lawyer Maxime Tessier.

The prosecutor has said that in the United States, Le Scouarnec could have been jailed for "2,000 years".

In the trial, which began in February, Le Scouarnec admitted sexually assaulting or raping 299 patients -- 256 of them under 15 -- in hospitals between 1989 and 2014, many while they were under anaesthesia or waking up after operations.

Survivors of the surgeon's abuse staged a protest outside the court holding signs such as "Never again" and "I accuse you."

They also held signs representing 355 victims.

That number included "forgotten victims and those whose cases have been dismissed", said Lemoine.

Another victim, Celine Mahuteau, sent a letter to President Emmanuel Macron saying France has not implemented a national policy "to prevent paedophilia".

- 'Not asking for leniency' - 

"I am not asking the court for leniency," Le Scouarnec said on Monday.

"Simply grant me the right to become a better person."

The surgeon also said he considered himself "responsible" for the death of two of his victims -- Mathis Vinet, who died after an overdose in 2021 in what his family says was suicide, and another man who was found dead in 2020.

Le Scouarnec documented his crimes, noting his victims' names, ages, addresses and the nature of the abuse.

In his notes, the doctor described himself as a "major pervert" and a "paedophile".

"And I am very happy about it," he recorded.

In 2005, he received a four-month suspended prison sentence after investigators linked his credit card to the online purchase of child sexual abuse material.

But Le Scouarnec was neither required to undergo treatment nor barred from practising medicine.

- 'Proud of this fight' - 

While Le Scouarnec has asked his victims for forgiveness, many have questioned the sincerity of his apologies, which he repeated almost mechanically.

"You are the worst mass paedophile who ever lived," said one of the lawyers representing the victims, Thomas Delaby, describing Le Scouarnec as an "atomic bomb of paedophilia".

There has been frustration among some that the trial has not had the impact in France they hoped for.

The case has not won the attention given to the case of Dominique Pelicot, who was jailed last year for recruiting dozens of strangers to rape his now ex-wife Gisele.

Health Minister Yannick Neuder said he would work with Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin to ensure that "never again will we find ourselves in a situation where patients and vulnerable children" are exposed to predators.

Gabriel Trouve, one of the victims, said many were relieved and looked forward to resuming their lives.

"We can, I think, be proud of this fight we didn't choose, but have decided to take on nonetheless," he said.

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Originally published as French surgeon sentenced to 20 years for abusing children