France’s Largest Child Abuse Case: How Systemic Failures Enabled a Predator for Decades
Author: Dori Felber
Read time: 2 minutes, 46 seconds
Picture of the Palais de Justice (France). Created: 16 septembre 2012. Uploaded: 16 septembre 2012. Author: ROZE Sébastien
Just months after the tragic abuse suffered by Gisèle Pelicot came to light, a former French surgeon, Joel Le Scouarnec, has been accused of raping or sexually abusing 299 victims between 1989 and 2014, making it France’s largest-ever child abuse case.
Scouarnec’s horrific actions were discovered during a 7-year-long investigation, which began after a six-year-old neighbour told her parents that Le Scouarnec had touched her over the fence that separated their properties. During the investigation, police discovered Le Scouarnec’s diaries, in which he meticulously catalogued the instances of rape and abuse, as well as the names of his victims. Additionally, it is said that in one entry he wrote, "I am a paedophile, and I will always be." Continually, according to investigation documents, alongside his diaries, a collection of dolls, drawings of naked children, and hard discs containing at least 300,000 photos and videos featuring child sexual abuse were also found at his home.
Although Le Scouarnec was convicted in 2005 for possessing and importing child sexual abuse materials and sentenced to four months of suspended prison time, as well as being reported by his colleague to the French medical professional body in 2006, he was appointed as a hospital practitioner by the Jonzac hospital in the department of Charente-Maritime. Does this not underscore the alarming complacency of both the French authorities and the medical professional body? Despite his conviction and a formal report against him, he was still entrusted with the care of patients. How many warning signs must be ignored before meaningful action is taken?
During his trial on Monday, February 24th, Le Scouarnec told the court that “I can't go back, but I owe it to [the victims] and their relatives to admit my actions and the consequences they had and that they undoubtedly will continue to have throughout their lives.” However, despite his statement and the fact that he is being charged with 111 counts of aggravated rape and 189 counts of sexual assault over a period of 25 years, if he is convicted, he will only face 20 years in prison. In effect, this means that despite the staggering number of charges against him, his punishment will be no harsher than if he had been convicted of a single offence.
Under French criminal law, accumulation of sentences is not allowed, a principle stemming from the 18th century. Thus, according to Article 132-3 of the French criminal code, sentences of the same nature cannot be cumulative, meaning that when a person is found guilty of several offences during the same proceedings, only the sentences relating to the most serious offence can be imposed. Thus, if found guilty, Le Scouarnec will face up to 20 years in prison, in addition to the 15-year prison sentence for his prior conviction in 2020 for the rape and abuse of four children.
The future is uncertain; however, one thing is for certain: "systemic failures" allowed Le Scouarnec to continue working with children.
