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Verdict Awaited as Le Scouarnec Trial Concludes After Three Months

Prosecutors have urged a 20-year prison term; victims demand accountability for decades of medical and legal failures

Le collectif des victimes de Joël Le Scouarnec, devant le tribunal de Vannes, le 19 mai.
M<sup>es</sup> Tessier (à gauche) et Kurzawa, les deux avocats de Joël Le Scouarnec qui ont plaidé ce lundi matin 26 mai à Vannes.
Sarah El Haïry, alors ministre déléguée chargée de l'Enfance, de la Jeunesse et des Familles. Paris, vendredi 23 février 2024.

Overview

  • Defense and prosecution delivered their final arguments on May 26 in Vannes following a three-month trial against former surgeon Joël Le Scouarnec.
  • The public prosecutor requested the maximum 20 years of imprisonment plus safety measures including post-release detention and a lifetime ban from medical practice.
  • Le Scouarnec, 74, admitted to most of the 299 charges on March 20 and his lawyers have argued that his full recognition of guilt and personal evolution merit a reduced sentence.
  • Victims and expert witnesses exposed systemic oversights in hospital hiring and judicial follow-up that allowed the abuse to continue unchecked for decades.
  • Advocates have criticized the trial’s low media and political visibility and are calling for urgent reforms to safeguard children against sexual violence.