French Surgeon Found Fully Responsible in Major Child Abuse Case

In a significant legal proceeding in France, a retired surgeon has been deemed fully accountable for his actions in one of the largest child abuse cases in the country, involving 299 victims. During the hearings held in Vannes, two psychiatric experts concluded that the 74-year-old defendant, Joël Le Scouarnec, displays no mental disorders or illnesses that would absolve him of responsibility for his heinous acts.

According to reports from the trial, one psychiatrist characterized the accused as emotionally detached, indicating a complete lack of empathy towards his victims. The court has heard harrowing accounts of abuse that occurred between 1989 and 2014, where the surgeon admitted to molesting a total of 158 male and 141 female patients, with an average age of just eleven years old. The abuses took place in various settings, including operating rooms during anesthesia, recovery phases, and patient rooms.

The accused meticulously documented his crimes in journals, which were discovered by investigators during a raid, providing chilling evidence of his actions. Experts have expressed concern over the defendant's potential threat to society, labeling his psychological profile as highly alarming. They emphasized that pedophilia is not classified as a mental illness and is considered uncurable.

As the trial progresses, a verdict is anticipated on either May 27 or 28. This case follows a previous conviction in 2020, where Le Scouarnec was sentenced to 15 years in prison for other instances of abuse. He now faces the possibility of an additional 20 years behind bars.