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A former surgeon went on trial in western France on Monday on charges that he raped or sexually assaulted hundreds of people, most of them former pediatric patients, in what is widely considered the biggest pedophilia case in French history.<\/p>\n
The former surgeon, Jo\u00ebl Le Scouarnec, 74, is accused of raping or sexually assaulting 299 people over 25 years<\/a>, between 1989 and 2014. Almost all of the victims are his former patients, and almost all of them were children at the time of the alleged abuse. The average age of the patients he is accused of sexually assaulting was 11.<\/p>\n The trial opened in the coastal town of Vannes, in Brittany, where Mr. Le Scouarnec was led in by police officers at the start of the trial. <\/p>\n Wearing a black vest, with a bald head and a ring of white hair on the sides, he spoke clearly as the court confirmed his name, date of birth, and other biographical information.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201cYour profession before you were incarcerated?\u201d Aude Buresi, the presiding judge, asked.<\/p>\n \u201cSurgeon,\u201d Mr. Le Scouarnec answered calmly.<\/p>\n The proceedings are expected to last nearly four months.<\/p>\n Mr. Le Scouarnec\u2019s listed victims were spread around the west of France, following his career as he moved from the Indre-et-Loire area to Brittany, and finally south to Charente-Maritime, working in several private clinics and public hospitals.<\/p>\n The case is unprecedented in scale for Vannes, a picturesque town of about 54,000 people with colorful half-timbered houses and centuries-old ramparts.<\/p>\n Modeling their organization after the colossal<\/a> trials<\/a> held in Paris after devastating terrorist attacks in France in 2015 and in 2016, the local court authorities have had to make space for hundreds of people expected to attend the trial. <\/p>\n That includes the people listed as victims and their families, over 60 lawyers, the general public, and more than 450 accredited journalists from as far as Japan and Australia.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The local authorities have requisitioned a low-slung, former law school building that is a short walk from the courthouse to rebroadcast the proceedings in overflow rooms.<\/p>\n A psychologist and support dogs will be on hand, and as was the case in France\u2019s biggest terrorism trials, listed victims will wear colored lanyards \u2014 green if they are willing to talk to the press, red if not.<\/p>\n Victims can ask to testify behind closed doors at any point during the trial, meaning some days may be closed to the press and public.<\/p>\n Mr. Le Scouarnec faces a maximum of 20 years in prison if convicted, as there are no consecutive sentences in France. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n He has denied some charges of rape but admitted to touching some patients\u2019 genitals during medical examinations. The rape charges are mostly related to penetration with fingers, which reflects the definition of rape in France.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n