299 times abuse: 20 years in prison for doctor

A court in Vannes in Western French sentenced a surgeon to 20 years in prison for the abuse of 299 mostly underage patients. In the biggest process of child abuse in France, the retired clinic doctor Joël Le Scouarneec (74) had stood that between 1989 and 2014 abused a total of 158 patients and 141 patients of the average age of eleven years. The acts occurred in the operating room, during anesthesia and also on the patient rooms.

The public prosecutor had asked for 20 years in prison and thus the highest possible punishment for the accused. The latter treated his victims like lifeless objects, showed no empathy and also exploited his role as a doctor. He had often passed to patients or children who were still under anesthesia who could not sort his actions as abuse. The surgeon is said to have often concealed its actions as a medical examination, it said in the indictment.

The prosecutor said the number of surgeons victims was even higher. In order not to delay the process, 299 cases were initially charged. There will probably be another criminal proceedings because of other victims.

Why didn’t authorities stop the doctor earlier?

The legal proceedings shake France. There is also the question of why the health authorities were unable to stop the doctor, condemned in 2005 due to child pornography. In this context, the defense lawyer spoke of « a great failure of our health systems ». Information on misconduct had been trivialized and the doctor preferred to keep the doctor on his post.

The surgeon also denounced the failure of the authorities. « How did Doctor Scouarnec be able to practice for 30 years, how did you let him go, why nobody knew that, » said a 36-year-old in court. France’s medical association admitted his own failure in the process.

In 2020, the doctor had already been sentenced to 15 years in prison for four cases of abuse. In 2017, the investigation had got the advertisement of a neighbor whose six -year -old daughter the doctor abused in the garden.

During searches, the investigators came across around 300,000 photos of child abuse and diaries in which the doctor had captured his decades of abuse in detail. With this information, the investigators started looking for the often ignorant victims that the surgeon met in rural clinics in western France during his work.

Traumatized victim

In court, numerous victims spoke about traumatization and psychological damage from abuse. Even children who did not notice the abuse as such were unconsciously responding to the violence suffered.

Experts found post -traumatic syndromes, blockages and physical complaints as a result of psychological stress. Some of them only occurred after the investigators visited the victims and revealed them that they had become victims of abuse in their childhood.

At the start of the process, the inconspicuous -looking pensioner had made a comprehensive confession. « I have committed hideous actions, » he said. « I have to take responsibility for my actions and the consequences for the victims they will have their lives. » Unexpectedly, the doctor later also admitted in court that he had also passed his two -year -old granddaughter at the time of the crime.