PARIS (AP) — France is preparing to conduct its largest child sex abuse trial to date. The trial centers around one individual—a former surgeon who faces serious allegations of having raped or sexually assaulted 299 victims, primarily young patients. Advocates are hopeful that this landmark trial will empower other survivors and shed light on numerous abusers who have long thrived under societal silence.

At the heart of the proceedings are the disturbing notebooks of the defendant, Joël Le Scouarnec, which detail decades of horrific sexual violence.

Now 74, Le Scouarnec will confront hundreds of victims over the span of a four-month trial beginning Monday in Vannes, located in Brittany, northwestern France. He admits to the charges but claims he does not recall all incidents.

Some of the survivors have no recollection of the abuse, having been unconscious during surgeries performed by Le Scouarnec.

This trial arrives at a crucial moment as activists work to dismantle the taboos surrounding sexual abuse. This effort gained momentum following the trial of Gisèle Pélicot, a victim of drugging and rape by her ex-husband, who has emerged as a symbol in the fight against sexual violence in France.

Organizations focused on child protection and women’s rights, along with medical associations, view this trial as a pivotal moment to shift societal shame and ensure a judicial system that listens to and safeguards victims while holding offenders accountable. “This should signal progress toward a judicial framework that prioritizes victim protection and delivers just sentences to aggressors,” they stated.

Decades of Abuse Come to Light

Le Scouarnec could face up to 20 years in prison for charges including rape, sexual assault, and indecent acts performed with violence or deception.

This legal case traces back to 2017 when a 6-year-old neighbor reported Le Scouarnec for inappropriate touching. Investigators found over 300,000 photographs and roughly 650 videos containing pedopornographic, zoophilic, and scatological content in his home, along with notebooks where he confessed to being a pedophile.

In 2020, he was sentenced to 15 years for abusing four minors, including two nieces and a young patient. He has acknowledged the abuse dating as far back as 1985-1986, with some cases unable to be prosecuted due to expired statutes of limitations.

The upcoming Vannes trial will scrutinize acts of rape and other forms of abuse committed from 1989 to 2014 against 158 males and 141 females, the average age being 11 at the time.

Victims’ Trauma Unveiled

The former surgeon exploited moments of vulnerability, targeting boys and girls alone in hospital rooms by masking sexual abuse as medical procedures. One of the victims, Amélie Lévêque, recalled her experience at the age of 9, noting, “I didn’t remember the operation but recalled a harsh surgeon during my recovery. I was upset but didn’t realize the extent of what had occurred.”

Years later, discovering her name in Le Scouarnec’s notebooks was a shocking moment that led to an intense emotional struggle. “It began to answer a lifetime of questions but also plunged me into despair,” she explained. “I felt as though my life spiraled out of control. I wasn’t imagining it; I had to confront the truth.”

She also highlighted the profound emotional impact of this revelation. “I sank into a deep depression … My family tried to help, but I felt utterly isolated,” she shared.

The Associated Press does not disclose the identities of individuals who report sexual assault unless they choose to be named or publicly share their stories.

Le Scouarnec’s attorney, Thibaut Kurzawa, expressed to Sud-Ouest newspaper that his client intends to “respond to the judges’ inquiries” as he confronts his situation.

A Call for Societal Change

This case could have emerged much earlier; Le Scouarnec had previously been convicted in 2005 for possessing and importing child pornography and was given a suspended four-month prison sentence. Nevertheless, he was appointed to a hospital position the following year. Bureaucratic delays meant that the criminal record check requested by the Health Ministry overlooked his previous offenses.

Despite awareness of his conviction, health authorities and hospital executives took no disciplinary measures.

Some child protection organizations joined the legal action as civil plaintiffs. Jean-Christophe Boyer, the attorney representing the L’Enfant Bleu association, emphasized their aim to initiate potential legal reforms to prevent recurrence of such cases.

The Independent Commission on Incest and Sexual Violence against Children is calling for significant cultural transformations, asserting, “The silence of witnesses fosters a climate for child abuse to thrive. It is the duty of every observer, especially those in authoritative roles across health, administrative, and judicial sectors, to act.”

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Thomas Adamson contributed to this report.