French Surgeon Sentenced for Abusing Hundreds of Patients, Mostly Children

VANNES, France – A French court found retired surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec guilty of sexually abusing hundreds of patients, predominantly children. The court delivered its ruling on May 28, 2025, sentencing the 74-year-old to 20 years in prison.

Le Scouarnec was accused of aggravated rape or sexual assault against 299 victims over a period of 25 years. The presiding judge, Aude Buresi, described his actions as the worst case of pedocriminality to go to trial in France.

During the trial, Le Scouarnec admitted to committing the abuse while he worked in western France. He expressed an awareness of the irreparable harm he had caused to his victims, stating, “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.”

The judge noted that Le Scouarnec abused patients when they were most vulnerable, including while under anesthesia. “Your acts were a blind spot in the medical world,” Buresi stated.

Le Scouarnec is also currently serving time for prior convictions involving the rape and sexual assault of minors. In December 2020, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison for crimes against a child neighbor, his two nieces, and a four-year-old patient.

The trial revealed a troubling history. In 2005, he received a suspended sentence for downloading child pornography but continued to work in public hospitals.

Local prosecutor Jean-Pierre Dufour, who led the investigation, announced a separate inquiry to examine the potential liability of those who failed to act against Le Scouarnec’s actions in the past.

A group of victims gathered outside the courthouse, displaying a banner made of many sheets of white paper representing the victims. Some sheets bore names and ages while others identified the victims as “Anonymous.”

This case has prompted demands for reforms in the healthcare system to ensure better safeguards against abuse. Many victims and rights advocates argue that authorities failed to protect them and others from Le Scouarnec.

In light of the conviction, victims hope this case will serve as a catalyst for change. Reflecting on the national conversation about sexual violence, and inspired by movements like #MeToo, they stress that such abuses must not remain silent.