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Agence France-Presse

The then-wife of a French former surgeon on trial for allegedly assaulting or raping 299 patients was aware of his actions but “did nothing”, the doctor’s brother told the court on Wednesday.
Retired surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec, 74, has been on trial since Monday in one of the country’s largest child sex abuse cases.
Two hundred and fifty-six of the victims were under 15 at the time, the youngest aged one and the oldest 70.
Marie-France, who divorced Le Scouarnec in 2023, “could have made sure that my brother was arrested”, his brother told the court.
The brother, whose name Agence France-Presse is not disclosing to protect his privacy, admitted to a strong feeling of dislike towards his brother’s then-wife and acknowledged that he had no “proof” to support his claims.
He accused Marie-France of “loving her husband for his money” and having sexual relations with other men while she was married.

He also said his brother should be imprisoned for life.
“It would be good for society,” he added.
The former surgeon is already in jail, having been found guilty in 2020 of abusing four children, including two of his nieces.
Five years his junior, the brother claimed to have cut all ties with Le Scouarnec since his arrest in 2017.
Marie-France was expected to speak later on Wednesday.
She has said she never had the slightest suspicion about her husband’s paedophilia tendencies.
Le Scouarnec meticulously documented his crimes, noting his victims’ names, ages and addresses and the nature of the abuse.
The surgeon practised for decades until his retirement, despite a 2005 sentence for owning sexually abusive images of children and colleagues raising concerns about him.
The case has caused outrage in a country still traumatised by the revelations of the recent trial of Dominique Pelicot, who was convicted of enlisting dozens of strangers to rape his heavily sedated wife.
In the latest trial, Le Scouarnec faces allegations that he assaulted or raped 299 patients at a dozen hospitals between 1989 and 2014, in many cases while they were waking up from anaesthetic or during post-op check-ups.
Under French law, rape is “any act of sexual penetration, of whatever nature, or any oral-genital act committed on another person or on the person of the perpetrator through violence, coercion, threat or surprise”.


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France

Marie France (front, left), alleged ex-wife of former surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec, is surrounded by journalists upon arrival at the Morbihan criminal court in Vannes, Brittany, France. Photo: EPA-EFE

Acourt sketch shows retired surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec listening during a hearing on the second day of his trial on charges. Photo: AFP

In Japan, anger over ‘outrageously light’ sentence for ex-lawmaker who raped 12-year-old girl

Tamotsu Shiiki, 58, was found guilty on Monday at the Tokyo District Court of nonconsensual sexual intercourse with a 12-year-old girl. Photo: Handout

The Tokyo District Court. Photo: AFP

People stage a protest rally in Naha, Okinawa in July 2024, following a recent spate of cases of US military personnel accused of committing sexual crimes. Photo: Kyodo

A person sits at the Seiboren office in Kabukicho, Shinjuku, in Tokyo. Photo: EPA-EFE

‘Beyond maliciousness’: Japanese man who raped 10 girls given life sentence

A Japanese man sentenced to life for raping 10 schoolgirls sparked outrage over lenient punishment and prompted calls for stricter laws. Photo: Shutterstock

A Japanese court sentenced a former hospital employee to life in prison for sexually assaulting 10 girls. Photo: SCMP

France surgeon on trial for raping, sexually assaulting almost 300 patients, mostly children

Protesters hold signs reading ‘how many lives broken by only one man’ and ‘silence kills’ outside court in Vannes, France, on Monday, the opening day of retired doctor Joel Le Scouarnec’s trial on charges of assaulting or raping 299 patients. Photo: AFP

A courtroom sketch of former doctor Joel Le Scouarnec in 2020, when he was found guilty of abusing four children. Image: Reuters

Gisele Pelicot’s ex-husband caught up in 1990s murder and rape cases

Gisele Pelicot and her ex-husband Dominique Pelicot are seen during his trial at the courthouse in Avignon, southern France, in September 2024. Courtroom sketch: Valentin Pasquier via PA

Gisele Pelicot leaves the courthouse in Avignon, France, in December. Photo: dpa

Beatrice Zavarro, lawyer of Dominique Pelicot, speaks to the press outside the Nanterre courthouse, west of Paris, on Thursday. Photo: AFP

News

World

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Joel Le Scouarnec, 74, is on trial for allegedly assaulting or raping 299 patients, in one of France’s largest child sex abuse cases


Joel Le Scouarnec, 74, is on trial for allegedly assaulting or raping 299 patients, in one of France’s largest child sex abuse cases.


Crime

Sexual harassment and assault

Women and gender