Joël Le Scouarnec, a notorious French pediatric surgeon, practiced for over thirty years despite being a sexual predator. Victims like Amélie Lévêque and Mathis Vinet recount traumatic experiences linked to his assaults. Le Scouarnec’s criminal history revealed systemic failures, including a lack of action after an FBI probe in 2004. He received minimal punishment and continued to work, causing further suffering to victims. As he awaits trial, the profound impact of his actions lingers in the lives of those affected.
Joël Le Scouarnec is considered one of France’s most notorious sexual predators. Despite numerous warning signs, he practiced as a children’s surgeon for over three decades. Amélie Lévêque, now 43, vividly recalls the traumatic events of January 27, 1991. ‘I was just nine years old when Dr. Le Scouarnec performed an appendectomy on me in Loches (Indre-et-Loire),’ she recounts. ‘In the recovery room, I was assaulted and raped, a memory that surfaced in 2019.’
That year marked a turning point as the first rape complaint unveiled the disturbing narrative of Joël Le Scouarnec and his infamous black notebooks. For Amélie, the revelations were initially ‘somewhat relieving, offering answers’: ‘Why did I feel this way? Why was I so fearful? Why couldn’t I visit a doctor anymore?’ However, she adds, ‘it became a descent into hell.’ She discovered the surgeon’s notebooks, detailing the horrific assaults on hundreds of children, both in recovery and hospital rooms.
Mr. Le Scouarnec received preferential treatment, probably due to his position.
Mr. Le Scouarnec received preferential treatment, probably due to his position.
Frédéric Benoist, lawyer for the association ‘The Voice of the Child’
The Le Scouarnec case highlights significant systemic failures. As early as 2004, he could have faced arrest following an FBI probe into his downloading of child pornography. Instead, he was tipped off and avoided immediate consequences. Frédéric Benoist, a lawyer for ‘The Voice of the Child,’ explains, ‘Rather than standard procedures being followed, Mr. Le Scouarnec benefitted from preferential treatment based on his status. The gendarmes did not conduct a surprise raid at his residence, allowing him the opportunity to destroy evidence.’
Ultimately, he received a suspended four-month prison sentence, yet there were no restrictions placed on his medical practice or notifications to health authorities. In Quimperlé (Finistère), a whistleblower finally emerged, alerting hospital management about his conviction. ‘His criminal record raises serious concerns about his ability to treat young patients.’ Despite this, Le Scouarnec continued to work.
Later, when he sought employment at the Pontivy hospital, former director Jean-Pierre Dupont Mac Lean confirmed he rejected his application upon learning of his past. ‘I was discreetly informed that he had been convicted of accessing pedopornographic materials, and I immediately severed ties with him.’ Nevertheless, he secured a position at the Jonzac hospital (Charente-Maritime), where Francesca Satta, representing multiple victims, criticized the director for knowingly hiring him, labeling Le Scouarnec as a ‘predator of extraordinary proportions.’ This continued for nearly another decade.
The Heartbreaking Legacy of an Assaulted Child
The impact of these heinous acts echoes through the lives of victims and their families, like that of Mathis Vinet’s grandparents, who mourn the loss of their grandson. Mauricette Vinet holds two photographs: one of a joyful 10-year-old before his examination by Joël Le Scouarnec in 2007, and another of a troubled young man. ‘This is Mathis at the end, just before he left us.’ Over the years, his grandparents recount his downward spiral into drug use and despair, which worsened as he struggled to cope.
Everything shifted in 2019 when Mathis learned of his name appearing in Le Scouarnec’s notebooks. ‘It felt like the sky fell on him—he faced this overwhelming truth alone, and that was devastating. He never shared his feelings; we don’t know if he saw himself as a victim or felt guilty.’ Mauricette laments the ‘phenomenal silence’ that surrounded the case, noting that many were aware but chose to stay silent.
Joël Le Scouarnec remains presumed innocent as he awaits trial, set to commence on February 24, behind the walls of the Vannes detention center. His lawyer and the implicated institutions have declined to comment on the case.