In an appalling case that shook France’s medical establishment, a retired 74-year-old French surgeon has confessed to having sexually assaulted or raped 299 patients over a period of decades — 256 of whom were under the age of 15. The devastating revelations were made in a long-standing investigation into one of the largest abuse scandals in French medical history.
The ex-surgeon, whose identity was not made public because of legal prohibitions, allegedly chronicled some of his activities in graphic detail, keeping a “black book” that agents say chronicles his crimes from the 1980s to the early 2000s. Most of the attacks purportedly were committed during consultations or under sedation, with victims unaware for many years.
In his court appearance, the surgeon shocked the courtroom by indicating he asks “no leniency,” admitting the irreparable harm done to hundreds of lives. Families of victims and survivors packed the gallery, with many in tears, as haunting testimonies were read. Prosecutors labeled the extent of abuse as “monstrous” and a profound betrayal of trust in the medical community.
The case reopened demands for more robust protection, improved reporting systems, and stricter regulation in French healthcare facilities. It also prompts serious questions about the ethics of how such abuse went unchecked for so long. In the days ahead, the country holds its breath as the trial continues — and it hopes for long-awaited justice.
