Overview

• Joël Le Scouarnec, a former surgeon, is accused of 111 rapes and 189 sexual assaults against 299 patients, most of whom were minors, between 1989 and 2014.
• Le Scouarnec admitted in March to abusing all victims, many while they were under anesthesia or recovering post-surgery, during his tenure at multiple hospitals in western France.
• On May 20, 2025, Le Scouarnec told the court he considers himself responsible for the deaths of two victims, Mathis Vinet and Alan Roux, who died by suicide in 2021 and 2020 respectively.
• Despite a 2005 conviction for child pornography, Le Scouarnec continued practicing medicine until his retirement in 2017, raising questions about systemic failures in judicial and healthcare oversight.
• Victim advocacy groups and lawyers are using the trial to highlight institutional lapses and demand reforms to prevent similar cases in the future.