Former Surgeon Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Sexually Assaulting Nearly 300 Victims for More Than 2 Decades

A erstwhile surgeon successful France has been sentenced to 20 years successful situation aft being recovered blameworthy of sexually assaulting hundreds of children complete respective decades. 

Joël Le Scouarnec, 74, received nan maximum situation condemnation successful tribunal successful Vannes, a metropolis successful nan region of Brittany connected Wednesday, May 28.

The ruling followed a three-month proceedings during which he confessed to sexually assaulting 299 victims — many of whom were his ain patients — betwixt 1989 and 2014, according to NBC News, BBC and Reuters.

Many of his victims were astir 11 astatine nan clip of their assault. Prosecutors alleged that nan assaults often occurred erstwhile nan children were "under nan effects of anesthesia aliases recovering from surgery," per NBC.

Le Scouarnec’s proceedings has been described arsenic nan largest 1 dealing pinch kid intersexual maltreatment successful France's history, according to CBS News. 

Law enforcement was capable to build a lawsuit against nan French expert acknowledgment to his diaries, successful which he elaborate each of nan intersexual assaults successful detail, per BBC. The outlet noted that aggregate victims had nary representation of nan abuse.

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Le Scouarnec admitted that he committed "sexual assaults connected small patients" during his proceedings successful March, per nan outlet and Reuters. He besides admitted to being “responsible” for nan deaths of 2 victims, who remembered nan maltreatment and had taken their lives arsenic a consequence of nan trauma they experienced. The disgraced expert apologized for what he described arsenic “revolting” acts. 

“I americium not asking nan tribunal for leniency,” Le Scouarnec said during his closing statement, per NBC. He added that he wished nan tribunal “simply assistance maine nan correct to go a amended person.”

Le Scouarnec, who is presently serving a 15 twelvemonth situation condemnation aft being recovered blameworthy successful 2020 of raping a young neighbor, 2 of his nieces and different 4-year-old patient, is group to service his caller situation condemnation concurrently pinch his erstwhile one, according to nan outlet.

During this investigation, constabulary uncovered Le Scouarnec’s diaries containing specifications of nan alleged maltreatment complete nan people of 25 years and sections wherever he allegedly wrote, "I americium a pedophile" aggregate times, according to France 24. They besides recovered much than 300,000 "indecent images of minors, including pictures of his 2 nieces," and recovered child-sized activity dolls, per BBC. 

Le Scouarnec’s proceedings has put nan French aesculapian strategy nether scrutiny by victims and their families, who claimed that nan strategy ignored signs of intersexual abuse. The French expert was allowed to proceed moving astatine section hospitals and backstage clinics moreover aft a 2005 condemnation for possessing images of kid intersexual abuse, per Reuters and NBC.

“There were warnings complete 30 years,” said Francesca Satta, a lawyer who represented 10 victims and families, per NBC. She added, “This man benefited from a strategy that opened nan doorway for him to person his ain hunting ground.”

The National Order of Doctors successful France has since revenge a suit against Le Scouarnec, saying that it "expressed its heavy regrets" for really nan business pinch nan surgeon was handled and said that he should person been "prevented from practicing,” according to BBC. 

"This business has highlighted mediocre connection betwixt nan different entities of nan Order of Doctors, and we profoundly regret this," they said successful a statement.

If you aliases personification you cognize has been sexually assaulted, please interaction nan National Sexual Assault Hotline astatine 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) aliases spell to rainn.org.