Retired surgeon admits to 'hideous acts' as France's largest child sexual abuse trial gets underway
A retired surgeon admitted in court that he committed “hideous” acts, as France’s largest ever child sexual abuse case got underway on Monday.
VANNES, France — A retired surgeon accused of raping and sexually assaulting 299 people admitted in court that he committed “hideous” acts, as France’s largest ever child sexual abuse case got underway on Monday.
“If I am appearing before you it’s because one day, when most of these people were just children, I committed hideous acts,” Joël Le Scouarnec said in a sober voice after Judge Aude Buresi, the president of a five-judge panel hearing the case, asked if he had a statement to make.
Le Scouarnec, who was wearing a black coat and glasses, added that he was prepared to take responsibility for his actions “and the consequences they may have had and may have for the rest of their lives.”
It was unclear how many victims the 74-year-old was referring to in his brief statement at the Palais de Justice in Vannes, a small town in Brittany, northwestern France.
A courtroom sketch of French retired surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec.Benoit Peyrucq / AFP via Getty Images fileDefense lawyer Maxime Tessier told reporters outside court that Le Scouarnec, who is currently serving a 15-year sentence for the abuse of four other children, has admitted to the “vast majority,” of the charges but not all of them.
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