A French former surgeon has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the sexual abuse of hundreds of patients, mostly under the age of 15, after the biggest child abuse trial in France’s history – a ruling that adds to pressure on the government to address failings in the health and justice system.
Joël Le Scouarnec, 74, whose guilty verdict confirmed him as one of the most prolific convicted sexual predators in France, worked as a digestive surgeon in public and private hospitals across Brittany and the west of France, often operating on children with appendicitis.
