France’s largest child sex abuse trial opened this week in Vannes, with former surgeon Joël Le Scouarnec accused of raping or assaulting 299 patients—nearly all children. The 74-year-old kept chilling notebooks documenting his crimes, which spanned hospitals and decades.
Prosecutors argue Le Scouarnec weaponized medical authority to prey on minors as young as 9. ‘He disguised abuse as postoperative care,’ investigators noted, explaining how he targeted sedated patients. Over 300,000 photos and videos were seized from his home.
‘Finding my name in his diary answered lifelong questions—but destroyed me,’ survivor Amélie Lévêque testified. ‘I collapsed into depression realizing the truth.’
Key evidence includes:
- 652 explicit video files
- Written confessions labeling himself a pedophile
- Decades-old hospital records matching victim accounts
Le Scouarnec received minimal consequences after a 2005 child porn conviction, allowing him to resume hospital work. Health officials failed to act despite flagged criminal records—a systemic failure activists call endemic.
The trial amplifies demands for cultural reform, with over 30 advocacy groups jointly declaring: ‘Shame must shift from survivors to abusers.’ Proposed measures include:
- Eliminating statutes of limitation for child abuse
- Mandatory staff training to recognize grooming tactics
- National registry for medical misconduct
Verdicts are expected by late 2024. If convicted, the ex-surgeon faces 20+ years—but survivors stress the real victory is breaking France’s silence on institutional abuse.
