Joel Le Scouarnec, a 74-year-old former surgeon on trial in France, has admitted to sexually abusing hundreds of patients, predominantly minors. He considers himself "responsible" for the deaths of two victims, including Mathias Vinet, who struggled with addiction and died in 2021. The court displayed emotional accounts from victims, many detailing the psychological scars from the abuse that affected their lives significantly.
During the lengthy trial, which commenced in February, Le Scouarnec confessed to abusing all 299 victims between 1989 and 2014, including over 250 under the age of 15. Detailed diaries he kept helped police identify many of his victims, some of whom had no memory of the abuse until they were informed of their names' presence in the logs.
Victims shared their harrowing experiences in court, expressing feelings of distorted identity due to the trauma. Le Scouarnec's apologies to his victims have offered some solace, according to lawyers representing them. Critically, the trial has shone a light on systemic failures that allowed Le Scouarnec to continue working despite earlier warnings about his behavior, with calls for accountability from medical organizations and advocacy groups.
Despite being one of the largest child abuse trials in France, many victims feel that it has not received adequate societal attention. Le Scouarnec is already serving a 15-year prison sentence for earlier sexual crimes and could face an additional 20 years based on the ongoing trial outcome, expected on May 28.
