A retired surgeon accused of raping and sexually assaulting hundreds of young patients, some while they were under anesthetic, told the opening of his trial in western France on Monday that he had committed "despicable" acts.

Joel Le Scouarnec, 74, faces charges of aggravated rape and sexual assault against 299 victims, most of them children at the time, in a case that raises uncomfortable questions for France's publicly run healthcare system, victims and rights groups say.

Wearing a black jacket and glasses, he spoke in a steady voice to confirm his name, date of birth and other personal information in the small provincial court room. A number of his alleged victims followed proceedings from a nearby building.

"I have committed despicable acts," Le Scouarnec told the court. "I'm aware that the harm I've caused is beyond repair."

"I owe it to all these people and their loved ones to admit my actions and their consequences, which they've endured and will keep having to endure all their lives."

In what is considered France's worst case of pedocriminality to go to trial, Le Scouarnec's alleged abuse of patients spanned 25 years, from 1989 to 2014.

The trial comes at a time of reckoning around sex crimes in France after the conviction of Dominique Pelicot, who was found guilty in December of drugging his wife and inviting dozens of men over to their home to rape her.

Already serving jail time for earlier rape convictions, Le Scouarnec faces up to 20 years in jail if found guilty. The two sentences would run concurrently.

"My clients don't expect anything from Le Scouarnec. In France, whether you rape one child or 300, it's the same sentence," Marie Grimaud, a lawyer representing some of Le Scouarnec's alleged victims, told reporters before the hearing.

"My clients are only hoping to find some dignity, humanity and consideration from the justice system."

SEXUAL ABUSE OF CHILDREN

Le Scouarnec has been convicted of sex crimes on two previous occasions.

He was handed a suspended four-month jail sentence for possessing child pornography in 2005, but managed to secure a job as a surgeon at a public hospital in Quimperle, western France, the following year.

He continued to work in public hospitals until his re-arrest in 2017 on suspicion of raping his 6-year-old neighbour. Police discovered electronic diaries that appeared to detail his sexual assaults on scores of patients in hospitals across the region.

In 2020, Le Scouarnec was convicted of the rape and sexual assault of his child neighbour, as well as two of his nieces and a 4-year-old patient, and sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Further investigations into the alleged victims logged on his files led prosecutors to later charge Le Scouarnec with the aggravated rape and sexual assault of 299 people.

Francois, a plaintiff in the case and who was 12 when Le Scouarnec allegedly abused him, said he felt betrayed by the authorities.

"Why did nobody stop this surgeon from working with children?" said Francois, who asked to be identified only by this name.

According to court documents, some members of staff at the health ministry were aware of the 2005 conviction. The ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

WARNINGS IGNORED

Soon after Le Scouarnec secured a job in Quimperle in 2006, a psychiatrist at the hospital alerted management to their concerns about the surgeon's behaviour, a court document showed.

The Quimperle public hospital did not respond to requests for comment on why Le Scouarnec was hired after his conviction for holding child pornography or why he retained his job after concerns were raised.

Local prosecutor Stephane Kellenberger has opened a separate probe into the possible criminal liability of other public bodies or individuals who could have prevented the abuse.

"There is no way that somebody can rape and assault children for all those years without the knowledge of people around," said Homayra Sellier, head of Innocence in Danger, which is supporting 40 alleged victims and is a plaintiff in the case.

Outside the courthouse in Vannes, a small town in Brittany, protesters held banners accusing medical authorities of complicity.

The National Council of the Order of Physicians, which oversees adherence to doctors' code of ethics in France and has disciplinary powers, said it was working with the judiciary to prevent future harm to patients.

Copied