Scoarnek pedophile remains lifetime in prison after 25 years of crimes
A French court on Wednesday has recognized a retired surgeon guilty of rape and sexual assault on patients, some of whom, under anesthesia, in a process that shook France. Many of them were children at the time of the crime.
Joel Le Scoarnek told the court that he had committed « disgusting actions » for 25 years while working as a doctor in Western France, in a process that raised uncomfortable questions about the country’s public health system.
74-year-old Le Scoarnek was sentenced to 20 years in prison, which in practice means life sentence.
French surgeon stands in court for systemic sexual abuse over children
The abuse of Le Scoarnek with his patients is considered to be the most severe case of pedophile crime in France, which has come to a lawsuit. He was accused of rape or sexual assault in aggravating circumstances against 299 casualties.
« I realize that the harm I have caused is irreparable, » said Le Scoarnek at the beginning of the trial in February. « I owe all these people and their loved ones to admit their actions and their consequences they have suffered and will have to endure throughout their lives, » he added.
The case took place at a time when France discussed and thought about sexual crimes after the conviction of Dominic Pelico, who was found guilty in December for his wife and invited dozens of men to his home to rape her while she was unconscious.
Le Scoarnek is already serving a sentence in prison for previous sentences for rape. In 2020, he was sentenced to 15 years for rape and sexual assault on a child from a neighboring family, as well as his two nephews and a 4-year-old patient.
Victims and their families asked why local and national health authorities failed to stop Le Scoarnek. In 2005, he was convicted of downloading sexual abuse of children and received a suspended sentence, but managed to continue working in public hospitals.
Several dozen casualties and activists for their rights gathered in front of the Court of Justice before the sentence, holding a banner made by hundreds of pieces of white paper with black silhouettes, one for each victim. Some of them were named and old, while others were inscription « Anonymous ».
The scale of the abuse by Le Scoarnek was discovered after his re-arrest in 2017 on suspicion of raping his 6-year-old neighbor.
Police have discovered electronic diaries, which seem to have described more than two decades of rapes and sexual attacks on young patients in hospitals in the region, as well as a hiding place with sex dolls, wigs and child pornography.
The case was held in Van, a small town in Brittany.
The local prosecutor, whose service led the investigation of Le Scoarnek, has launched a separate investigation to determine if there was criminal liability by agencies or persons who could prevent abuse.
