Who is Joel Le Scouarnec? French surgeon accused of assaulting 300 patients, mostly children

The former surgeon, Joël Le Scouarnec, has caught worldwide attention after he admitted “to commit horrible acts” during the audience, whose audience has been called Monday as the case of largest child sexual abuse in France.

Accused of sexually assaulting or raping 299 patients, most of whom were children, the trial of Le Scouarnec marks one of the most disturbing child abuse in the history of France. “If I am appearing before you, it is because one day, when most of these people were only children, I committed horrible acts,” said Joël Le Scouarnec after they asked if he wanted to make a statement.

The surgeon faced his first sentence in 2020 after he was sentenced by abuse Four children, which included two of their nieces.

While heading to the Court on Monday, Le Scouarnec saying“I can’t come back, but I owe (the victims) and their relatives admit my actions and the consequences they had and that will undoubtedly continue to have throughout their lives.”

The case, led by a panel of five judges with Judge Aude Bulesi as president, has asked questions about systemic failures within the French medical profession. What allowed Joël Le Scouarnec to continue practicing despite the accusations and multiple warnings?

Who is Joel Le Scouarnec?

Le Scouarnec, now 74, faces assault positions that took place between 1989 and 2014, with victims who range from a year of one year to a 70 -year -old adult.

According informationLe Scouarnec was born in Paris and qualified as a surgeon at the Medical Faculty of Nantes in 1983. After that, he met and married Marie-France, a health worker. Then he moved with his wife to Loches, the city of the southeast of the tours.

A private clinic in Vannes hired him in 1994, and for 10 years, Le Scouarnec worked throughout western France in many hospitals. A specialist in digestive surgery, then moved to the public hospital in Lorient and then Quimperlé in 2004

A long history of accusations

In addition to the number of people who were victims of the abuse of Le Scouarnec, another shocking event was that most of the alleged crimes took place, while patients were under general anesthesia. Therefore, they did not remember the abuse that happened to them.

A victim of Le Scouarnec, who is now the mother of three children, was surprised to discover his abuse. In 2019, the French authorities approached him and told him that he was one of the surgeon’s victims. It was operated by Le Scouarnec when he was 9 years old.

While talking with a publicationShe shared her moment of discovery. ‘Was I touched?’ He asked the officials, to which they replied: ‘No, Madame. Broken.

I couldn’t think they were talking about me. It is like cancer; You think it only happens to other people. And how could I have forgotten that? She added. However, it was not until 2017 that the full scale of the abuse made by him came to light.

In April 2017, the neighbor of Le Scouarnec raised a complaint against him after his six -year -old daughter told them that “the man with a white hair crown” had touched her inappropriately through a broken garden fence. Once the complaint was made, a search was carried out in the surgeon’s house, and what was discovered was crazy.

According informationPolice found a hard drive that had more than 300,000 photos and videos with child sexual abuse under a mattress. The notebooks that record the details of the alleged abuse of children’s patients were also discovered in their home. One of his notes read: “I am a pedophile and I will always be.”

A case of lost warnings

Despite the numerous red flags throughout his career, Le Scouarnec’s ability to continue working as a surgeon has been a source of indignation.

In 2005, the FBI marked him for accessing images of child abuse online, which led to a prison sentence suspended in France. Despite this, he was allowed to continue practicing medicine in Brittany hospitals, even in Quimperlé and Jonzac.

In 2006, psychiatrist Thierry Bonvalot, who worked with Le Scouarnec, expressed concerns about his behavior. Bonvalot was surprised by the sexually loaded comments of the surgeon on young patients and their admission to possession of child pornography. He urged the order of doctors, the body responsible for regulating the medical profession in France, to intervene. However, no measures were taken, and Le Scouarnec was promoted within his hospital, and finally became the Head of Surgery.

The low scrutiny medical system

The case of Le Scouarnec has led to generalized criticisms of the French medical system, particularly to the order of doctors, now a civil party in the trial. The order has been accused of not acting in multiple warnings about the past of Le Scouarnec.

While talking with AFP, one of the victims of Le Scouarnec said: “How many people knew it was a pedophile and let him practice medicine?” Many other victims have appeared since they demand responsibility.

In response to accusations, the order of doctors fixed‘In recent years, the order of doctors has undertaken reforms to strengthen surveillance and coordination with the Judiciary. Such acts should never have happened and should never happen again.

However, a 2019 report from the Auditors Court found that the organization had not adequately approached cases of inappropriate sexual behavior, with almost half of the complaints dismissed between 2014 and 2017.

While talking with The guardianFrédéric Benoist, lawyer of the La Voix de L’E Enfant (Child) Children’s Protection Association, a civil party in the case, said that structural failures in the France’s health and justice system allowed Le Scouarnec to continue with their despicable acts.

‘If these institutions had acted correctly, they could have stopped Le Scouarnec much earlier. But each professional in the heart of these institutions, whether legal or doctors, did nothing, and due to their inaction, could continue for 30 years, “Benoist said.

A lasting impact on victims

The alleged actions of Le Scouarnec have left many of their devastated victims. Some of those who were assaulted when children have presented and shared that they fear that this trauma chas them forever.

Mauricette Vinet lost his grandson after the abuse caused by Le Scouarnec. According to the reports, he took his life after fighting with trauma. “If he (Le Scouarnec) would not have happened, Mathis would still be here,” he said. As the trial continues, many victims will have to relive their painful experiences in the courtroom.

According to the reports, the protests occurred on Monday outside the Morbihan criminal court in Brittany, where the trial is celebrated. Many groups of victims, groups of women and medical associations appeared outside the courtroom to demand justice and responsibility. A gear scream has been: “Who knew?”

According to reports, the trial is scheduled to conclude in June. Meanwhile, France dealt with the shocking details of Le Scouarnec’s crimes and the failures that allowed them to continue.