Former French surgeon Joël Le Scouarnec went on trial yesterday, accused of sexually assaulting nearly 300 patients, mostly minors, in the country's largest child sex abuse case on record.
Le Scouarnec was initially arrested in 2017 following accusations that he abused or raped four girls, and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. While investigating, police reportedly recovered journals with accounts written by Le Scouarnec, detailing hundreds of other incidents. The 74-year-old faces an additional 20 years behind bars if convicted.
The public has also cast blame on medical authorities—the doctor was originally convicted in 2005 on possessing child sexual abuse material charges but was allowed to continue practicing pediatric medicine until his arrest 12 years later.
The proceedings follow the conclusion of the Pelicot trial, in which a Frenchman was found guilty of repeatedly drugging his wife and inviting other men to rape her while unconscious. Both cases generated international condemnation and outrage.
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