French surgeon admits to ‘hideous things’ as trial begins for abusing 299 patients

The former doctor is accused of raping or sexually assaulting patients, mainly children, while they were under anaesthesia or recovering from surgery.

Many victims only realised what had happened when police found their names in his handwritten notebooks, described as “black books.”

Investigators believe the abuse took place between 1989 and 2014 in several hospitals across western France, including Brittany. Le Scouarnec was first arrested in 2017 after his neighbours in Jonzac, near Bordeaux, reported him to the police.

A search of his home uncovered a disturbing collection of evidence, including over 300,000 photos and videos of child sexual abuse, along with written details of his alleged crimes. Officers also discovered lifelike dolls hidden under floorboards.

In 2020, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison for sexually assaulting four children, including a young patient in a hospital. His new trial will also investigate how he was allowed to continue working with children even after a 2005 conviction for possessing child sexual abuse images, for which he received a four-month suspended sentence.

Despite this, his employers, the French medical regulatory body L’Ordre des Médecins, and the health ministry took no action.

The trial, expected to last four months, involves over 60 lawyers representing the victims and their families. Testimonies will be heard in order of when the alleged abuse took place. Out of the 299 victims, 256 were under 15 at the time. The youngest was just one year old, while the oldest was 70.

Le Scouarnec’s lawyer, Maxime Tessier, told the court that his client had admitted to “the vast majority” of the charges. His ex-wife and three children, along with other family members, are expected to testify.

One of the alleged victims, Marie, said she wanted recognition for the suffering endured by survivors. “They can tell us that it’s in our head, but it’s been there for years—even before we knew what he did to us,” she said.

Frédéric Benoist, a lawyer for the child protection group La Voix de L’Enfant (Child’s Voice), criticised the inclusion of L’Ordre des Médecins in the case, calling it “scandalous.”

However, lawyer Negar Haeri, representing the medical order, argued that the profession had been “sullied” by Le Scouarnec’s actions.

(with inputs from The Guardian)