Joel Le Scouarnec, 74, faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted, on top of the 15 years he has been serving after being found guilty in 2020 of rape and sexual assault of children, in a case that raises questions for France's publicly run healthcare system, victims and rights groups say.
When searching Le Scouarnec's home, police found 300,000 indecent photos and videos of children (some hard copies and some on computers), 70 child-sized dolls - some of which were chained up - wigs and, crucially, hundreds of notebooks and diaries detailing his acts of abuse.
A former surgeon who is alleged to have raped and sexually abused 299 victims - most of them children who were his patients - told the opening of his trial in France he had committed "despicable acts".
Le Scouarnec had been convicted in 2005 for possessing and importing child sexual abuse material and sentenced to four months of suspended prison time.
Le Scouarnec has admitted to child abuse dating to 1985-1986, but some cases could not be prosecuted because the statute of limitations has expired.
