A French court has sentenced 74-year-old former surgeon Joël Le Scouarnec to the maximum 20 years in prison for the rape and sexual assault of 299 children, concluding one of the country’s most horrific abuse cases in recent history.
Le Scouarnec, already serving a 15-year sentence from a 2020 conviction involving four children, including his nieces, was found guilty in a new trial that revealed a decades-long pattern of abuse between 1989 and 2014, primarily involving unconscious or sedated hospital patients, most aged around 11.
The Morbihan criminal court ruled he must serve at least two-thirds of the new sentence before becoming eligible for release. The case shocked France not only for its scale—158 boys and 141 girls were among the victims—but also due to systemic failures that allowed the abuse to continue.
Despite a 2005 conviction for possession of child sexual abuse material, Le Scouarnec kept his medical license and continued practicing in hospitals until his arrest in 2017, sparking accusations of institutional inaction. During the trial, he confessed not only to the documented cases but also to other assaults now beyond the statute of limitations—including the abuse of his granddaughter.
The trial exposed how Le Scouarnec disguised abuse as medical care, meticulously documenting his crimes in journals. Many victims learned of the abuse only after police contacted them. Some entries were so explicit and horrifying they became central to the prosecution's case.
Prosecutor Stéphane Kellenberger sharply criticized both medical authorities and the French bureaucracy for failing to stop the abuse. “More could have been done,” he said. “Responsibilities were lost—innocent lives were destroyed.”
While Le Scouarnec claimed he no longer feels sexual attraction to children, experts told the court that his risk of reoffending remains high.
A third trial is anticipated as more victims, including further allegations involving his granddaughter, continue to come forward.
The case has reignited national debates around child protection, medical oversight, and France’s handling of institutional abuse—issues still unfolding across sectors from education to religion.
Russia's health watchdog said on Tuesday that no cases of plague had b...
An Azerbaijani citizen died and another is missing after a cargo ship was attacked by a drone in the Black Sea, near the coast of Romania on Monday...
Azerbaijan is seeking to attract more European visitors by improving air connectivity and raising its profile as an international tourism des...
Australian counterterrorism authorities are examining the links of the co-pilot accused of attacking the captain and attempting to take control of a flydubai flight bound for Israel. Authorities in New Zealand have also said they are investigating reports the suspect had spent time in that country.
Russia's health watchdog said on Tuesday that no cases of plague had been detected among anyone who had come into contact with a Siberian plague institute laboratory worker who died last week, and locals said their lives had barely been disrupted.
Right-wing Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro will face leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in a runoff of the presidential election later this month, after he exceeded expectations in Sunday's first-round vote with a slight lead over the incumbent.
An Azerbaijani citizen died and another is missing after a cargo ship was attacked by a drone in the Black Sea, near the coast of Romania on Monday, 5 October, Baku's Foreign Ministry has said.
The German-Azerbaijani Connectivity Conference 2026 commenced on 6 October in Baku under the title “Mobilising Finance for Infrastructure, Transport, Logistics, Green Energy, and Digitalisation along the Middle Corridor.”
Russia's health watchdog said on Tuesday that no cases of plague had been detected among anyone who had come into contact with a Siberian plague institute laboratory worker who died last week, and locals said their lives had barely been disrupted.
Space-agency chiefs and industry leaders met to discuss lunar exploration, satellite networks and orbital security on Tuesday as a major global space congress entered its second day.
Police fired tear gas at protesters blockading French high schools on Tuesday as students, teachers and parents took to the streets on the biggest day of action in a wave of demonstrations against understaffed and dilapidated classrooms.
A large Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow and the surrounding region has killed two people, damaged homes and sparked a major fire at a key fuel facility, according to Russian officials and military bloggers.
Kenya has confirmed its first case of Ebola after a Kenyan citizen who had travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) died in Nairobi, prompting health authorities to launch an urgent contact-tracing operation.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment