French investigators seek further victims of paedophile surgeon

The Guardian

21-03-2025

French investigators have begun a search for further victims of a paedophile surgeon on trial for raping or sexually assaulting 299 mostly young patients, after he admitted all the charges in what was described as a 'turning point' in France's largest child abuse case.
Joël Le Scouarnec, 74 had declared 'I committed heinous acts' at the opening of the trial last month but previously only acknowledged the abuse on a case by case basis and had denied several of the charges.
His lawyer, Maxime Tessier, told reporters his client had admitted that all those mentioned in his handwritten notes – reported to be more than 300 names – had been abused. He said the surgeon had told the court, which was sitting in camera: 'I have a duty to tell the truth.'
The public prosecutors' office in Rennes has opened a fresh investigation to identify and trace other victims mentioned in Le Scouarnec's writings, one document of which was headed: 'My paedophile letters.'
Le Scouarnec's admission came after 10 days of evidence from some of the 158 male and 141 female victims, most of whom were under the age of 15, at the trial in Vannes, western France. The court has heard how the majority were abused while under anaesthetic or recovering from operations between 1989 and 2014, when the surgeon worked in a dozen public and private medical establishments across Brittany and western France.
Tessier described it as 'a moment of truth and justice … and a turning point' in the trial that came after he asked his client if he recognised that the people mentioned in the numerous notebooks seized by police were 'all potential victims of his acts'.
Le Scouarnec replied: 'Yes'.
Asked if he recognised that the 299 accusations at the centre of the four-month trial were criminal offences, the surgeon again replied: 'Yes'.
'Monseur Le Scouarnec is aware of the consequences of this, that is to say the possibility of reopening investigations, of finding victims who would have been forgotten by the prosecution. This is an act that goes beyond all declarations of intent,' Tessier said.
Frédérique Giffard, a lawyer for 15 of the victims, welcomed Le Scouarnec's admission and said she believed the surgeon had finally realised the devastating impact of his abuse. 'This recognition is a crucial step in allowing the victims to move forward,' Giffard said.
Since 2020, Le Scouarnec, described by members of his family as a 'Jekyll and Hyde' character, has been serving a 15-year prison sentence for the sexual abuse of four young girls. It was while searching his home for evidence in this case that police came across notebooks and hard disks containing hundreds of thousands of photos and videos of child sexual abuse. Officers also discovered a collection of lifesize dolls.
The trial is also examining how Le Scouarnec was allowed to work after his 2005 conviction for possession of child sexual abuse images when he was given a four-month suspended sentence. His hospital employers and the health authorities were aware but no action was taken.
Speaking before the trial, Francesca Satta, a lawyer representing several of the victims, described the surgeon as 'extremely perverse' and said there could be as many as 400 victims. At least 12 cases were dropped because the allegations were out of time for prosecution.
Satta said the investigation had opened a 'Pandora's box' for those treated by Le Scouarnec, most of whom are today in their 30s and 40s and who learned of the abuse only when police turned up at their homes.
'It has caused real distress. Many of the victims were five to 10 years old at the time, many were anaesthetised and incapable of knowing what happened. Most had absolutely no idea. In any case, they were children who wouldn't have recognised the difference between a medical act and sexual abuse. And he was a doctor. They and their parents trusted him,' Satta said.
In the UK, the NSPCC offers support to children on 0800 1111, and adults concerned about a child on 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adult survivors on 0808 801 0331. In the US, call or text the Childhelp abuse hotline on 800-422-4453. In Australia, children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800; adult survivors can seek help at Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380. Other sources of help can be found at Child Helplines International