French Surgeon Jailed for 299 Child Sex Abuses

Joel Le Scouarnec, a 74-year-old former French surgeon, was sentenced to the maximum 20-year prison term after admitting to sexually abusing 299 patients, most of them children averaging 11 years old, between 1989 and 2014. He is already serving a 15-year sentence for previous convictions involving four children. The court found him guilty of 111 counts of rape and 189 sexual assaults, with most offenses committed while victims were under anesthesia in hospitals. Despite a 2005 child pornography conviction, Le Scouarnec continued practicing medicine until 2017, highlighting severe institutional failures in France's health and justice systems. Survivors and advocacy groups are pressing for legal reforms and the creation of a government committee to prevent similar cases, but some victims have criticized the lack of broader accountability. The case has fueled a national debate over the protection of vulnerable patients and the need for stronger safeguards.