A French court will consider the case of a former surgeon who is suspected of raping hundreds of children over 25 years, some of whom were under anesthesia. About this informs BBC.
Joel Le Squarneck, 73, is accused of assaulting or raping 299 children, most of whom were his patients, between 1989 and 2014. Police found children’s sex toys, more than 300,000 images of child abuse, and detailed diaries in which he recorded his crimes in the doctor’s home.
Some of Le Squarnec’s former patients recall that he touched them under the pretext of a medical examination, sometimes even in the presence of parents or other doctors. At the same time, most of the victims do not have any memories of it, because they were under anesthesia. They learned about the experience only after the police discovered the surgeon’s entries in his diaries.
The few victims who were able to recover these memories shortened their lives. In addition, it became known that members of Le Squarnec’s family probably knew about his actions, but did not contact the law enforcement officers. The doctor himself admitted only part of the crimes, denying the rest of the charges.
Le Squarnec was detained only after a six-year-old girl told her parents about the attack. By that time he had already retired and led a secluded life. This case is considered the largest in the history of France in terms of child abuse. The suspect’s trial will begin in the city of Vannes on February 24 and last until June.
