Joël Le Scouarnec Trial: Former Surgeon Admits to Crimes, Requests “No Leniency” Ahead of Verdict

After three months of intense proceedings before the criminal court of Morbihan, the trial of Joël Le Scouarnec is nearing its conclusion. The former digestive surgeon, 74, is accused of aggravated rape and sexual assault against 299 patients — most of them minors. On Monday, May 26, he addressed the court one final time before the judges retired to deliberate. A verdict is expected on Wednesday.

In a brief but unequivocal statement, the defendant declared: “I ask the court for no leniency. Simply grant me the right to become a better man and to regain the part of my humanity I have so sorely lacked.” He also expressed, for the first time, an acknowledgment of the suffering caused: “I want to speak to the women and men who had to endure the vilest acts imaginable. I have become aware of the immense pain my crimes caused them and their loved ones.”

Maximum Sentence Requested by the Prosecution

On Friday, the prosecution requested the maximum penalty: twenty years of criminal imprisonment, along with several security measures. The sentence was described as appropriate given the “exceptional scale” of the case and the staggering number of victims.

Defense Emphasizes Sincerity of Confession

Defense attorneys Maxime Tessier and Thibaut Kurzawa did not contest the sentence sought by the prosecution. “Joël Le Scouarnec is not trying to avoid the punishment requested,” stated Me Tessier. However, they urged the court to consider the “exceptional” nature of the full confession made by their client on March 20. “He never sought to deflect blame. He has always said: ‘I am solely responsible.’” The lawyers rejected any notion of performative remorse, arguing that their client’s cooperation was genuine and not driven by a desire to reduce his sentence.

Previously convicted in 2020 and sentenced to fifteen years in prison for the sexual abuse of four children, Le Scouarnec now awaits a new verdict in a case unprecedented in both scale and impact.