French Surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec Convicted of Abusing 299 Children

Retired surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec abused 299 children over 30 years. His 20-year sentence has sparked outrage and calls for legal reform in France.

One of the most devastating child sexual abuse trials in French history has concluded with the conviction of retired surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec, who was found guilty of sexually abusing 299 victims – most of them child patients in hospital settings over a period spanning nearly 30 years.

A Pattern of Abuse Hidden in Plain Sight

Le Scouarnec, now 74, was convicted of raping or sexually assaulting 158 boys and 141 girls between 1989 and 2014. The average age of his victims was just 11 years old. Many of the assaults occurred when children were alone or unconscious in medical settings – spaces that should have offered safety and healing.

“Your acts were a blind spot in the medical world… medical authorities were incapable of stopping your actions.”
Presiding Judge Aude Buresi

Despite the scale and severity of the crimes, Le Scouarnec was handed the maximum sentence available under French law for aggravated rape: 20 years in prison. Survivors and legal experts have expressed frustration that he received the same sentence as someone convicted of a single rape.

Evidence That Shocked the Nation

The case began to unfold after a police search of Le Scouarnec’s home in 2017 uncovered:

Over 300,000 photographs
650 paedophilic, zoophilic, and scatological videos
Multiple personal journals, in which he meticulously documented the abuse
Names of victims, many of whom were unaware they had been assaulted

Some victims were only identified after investigators found their names in his notes. One male survivor, assaulted during a consultation in 1995, recalled: “I remember certain things in the recovery room. I was in total panic. I called my dad.”

Survivors Demand Stronger Sentencing

While Le Scouarnec’s sentence was the legal maximum, the lack of sentence stacking in French law has sparked public outrage.

“Twenty years is not long.”
Lawyer Francesca Satta

“As it stands now… in 2030 Mr Le Scouarnec could be released.”
Lawyer Myriam Guedj Benayoun

“In the United States, he would have got thousands of years. It’s unbearable that someone like that can get out.”
Survivor, abused at age 10

Institutional Failures Allowed Abuse to Continue

Le Scouarnec had already been convicted in 2005 for possessing and importing child sexual abuse material. Yet in 2006, he was reinstated as a hospital surgeon. The failure to bar him from medical practice or investigate prior allegations points to systemic negligence within France’s healthcare and legal institutions.

This trial has reignited national conversations about the need for change. Such as stronger sentencing for serial abusers; mandatory safeguarding reforms in hospitals and care settings; and greater transparency and accountability in reporting sexual abuse by professionals.

Safeline’s Position

At Safeline, we stand with all survivors of sexual abuse. The bravery it takes to come forward – particularly when your abuser is in a position of power and trust – cannot be overstated. The survivors in this case, some of whom were unaware of the abuse until decades later, have endured unimaginable betrayal.

We believe: