French Court to Sentence Former Surgeon for Decades of Child Abuse

On Wednesday, a French court is scheduled to deliver a 20-year prison sentence to Joël Le Scouarnec, a former digestive surgeon, for the sexual abuse of patients, primarily minors under the age of 15. Le Scouarnec, now 74, practiced medicine in several hospitals across western France from the 1980s until 2017. During his career, he was found guilty of sexually abusing a large number of patients. The investigation into his actions revealed hundreds of alleged victims, making this one of the largest child abuse trials ever held in France. The case has brought attention to significant failures in medical oversight and reporting mechanisms within the French healthcare system. The sentencing is set to occur in Saintes, a town in western France. The case has prompted calls for reforms to improve patient protection and reporting of abuse within medical institutions.