Surgeon rapes 300 patients in France, most of them children.
The rapes and assaults occurred between 1989 and 2014 in different hospitals in northeastern France. The victims were 158 men and 141 women.
French surgeon Joël Le Scournec, accused of raping or sexually assaulting 299 young men, some of them minors, while they were unconscious on the operating table, will go on trial in 2025.
The investigation into Le Scournec, 72, was launched following several complaints. Over a period of four years, the authorities managed to compile a large volume of evidence.
The prosecution reported that the rapes and assaults occurred between 1989 and 2014 in different hospitals in northeastern France.
The victims, 158 boys and 141 girls, had an average age of just 11, and the vast majority of them were under 15.
The abuses were perpetrated while the victims were sedated or unconscious on the operating table. This aspect of the case has been important, as many of the victims were unaware of what had happened to them.
The investigation
During the investigation, agents found notebooks in Le Scouarnec's home, where the surgeon meticulously documented the names of his victims and the abuses committed.
This has resulted in strong evidence against him, as many of the abuses were carried out in situations where the patients could not remember what happened.
Le Scouarnec, a specialist in digestive surgery, was questioned on multiple occasions and, on several of them, he admitted to having committed the crimes.
In addition, he explained his modus operandi and the strategies used to avoid being discovered. These statements have increased the severity of the charges against him, which include 111 cases of aggravated rape and numerous cases of sexual assault.
This is not Le Scouarnec's first encounter with justice.
In 2006, he had already been reported for suspicions of abuse, but hospitals did not take action. This led the authorities to open a parallel investigation for possible cover-up of crimes.
The trial will take place in Vannes in the first half of 2025. It is expected to attract a great deal of media attention, given the nature of the crimes and the number of victims involved.