Overview

• Joël Le Scouarnec admitted to sexually assaulting or raping 299 patients, 256 of whom were under 15, in hospitals across western France between 1989 and 2014.
• The prosecution has requested the maximum 20-year prison term and the rare condition that he be held in a treatment centre under supervision after any release.
• Le Scouarnec’s defence conceded his guilt and contrition in closing arguments, with the 74-year-old surgeon stating he was not seeking leniency but aiming to become a better person.
• The trial exposed failures by medical and judicial authorities to intervene sooner, as Le Scouarnec continued practising until 2017 despite a 2005 child pornography conviction.
• Victims and relatives have protested outside the Vannes courthouse, calling for an interministerial commission to draw lessons and strengthen safeguards against future abuse.