Paris (Agencies): A French court has sentenced Joël Le Scouarnec, a 74-year-old former surgeon, to 20 years in prison for the rape and sexual assault of 299 children over a span of more than two decades.
Le Scouarnec, already serving a 15-year sentence for previous convictions, was found guilty of abusing unconscious or sedated hospital patients between 1989 and 2014. The criminal court of Morbihan ruled that he must serve at least two-thirds of his sentence before being eligible for release.
During the trial, advocacy groups accused health authorities of negligence, citing their failure to act despite being notified in 2005 of Le Scouarnec’s conviction for possessing child pornography. Prosecutor Stéphane Kellenberger criticized bureaucratic inefficiencies, stating that more could have been done to prevent further abuse.
Le Scouarnec admitted to all allegations and even confessed to sexually abusing his granddaughter, shocking the courtroom. Child protection organizations hope the case will lead to stronger legal safeguards against such crimes in the future.