French court to sentence former surgeon who abused children for decades

Biggest child abuse trial in French history reveals decades of medical oversight failures

A former French surgeon is expected to be sentenced to 20 years in prison on Wednesday for the sexual abuse of hundreds of patients mostly aged under 15, as the biggest child abuse trial in French history ends.

Joel Le Scouarnec, 74, worked as a digestive surgeon in public and private hospitals across Brittany and the west of France, often operating on children with appendicitis.