In French child rape trial, one victim draws inspiration from Gisele Pelicot
28 شباط 2025 17:31
When police told Louis-Marie, 35, that they believed he had been sexually abused two decades earlier by a surgeon who treated him for appendicitis, he thought it was a prank. It wasn't.
Louis-Marie is one of 299 people, most of them children at the time, who were allegedly raped or sexually assaulted by retired surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec, who is now facing what are widely considered the most serious charges of mass child abuse to go to trial in France.
When police told Louis-Marie, 35, that they believed he had been sexually abused two decades earlier by a surgeon who treated him for appendicitis, he thought it was a prank. It wasn't.
Louis-Marie is one of 299 people, most of them children at the time, who were allegedly raped or sexually assaulted by retired surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec, who is now facing what are widely considered the most serious charges of mass child abuse to go to trial in France.
The #MeToo movement began in 2017, in the aftermath of sexual misconduct accusations against now-imprisoned movie producer Harvey Weinstein.
Le Scouarnec detailed his rape and sexual assault of Louis-Marie, who was nine at the time, in his diaries, court documents showed. He admitted the rape of Louis-Marie to investigators, court documents also showed.
On the opening day of his trial, Le Scouarnec acknowledged committing "despicable" acts and causing irreparable harm to his victims. He has admitted to most but not all of the charges against him.
Louis-Marie's lawyer said victims of sexual violence often felt shamed into silence but the Pelicot trial was changing attitudes.
"Gisele Pelicot's courage has dramatically shifted the way victims think," Myriam Guedj Benayoun said. "They think 'we can't stay silent anymore, it's enough.'"
Louis-Marie said that despite the emotional difficulties, he wanted to speak openly about his suffering to help break down what victims and rights groups say has been a pervasive culture of silence around sexual abuse.
He said he had no recollection of the alleged abuse. Medical tests conducted as part of the investigation showed he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, court documents showed.
"I don't want this for my children and I hope speaking out can help protect them."
Louis-Marie is one of 299 people, most of them children at the time, who were allegedly raped or sexually assaulted by retired surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec, who is now facing what are widely considered the most serious charges of mass child abuse to go to trial in France.
When police told Louis-Marie, 35, that they believed he had been sexually abused two decades earlier by a surgeon who treated him for appendicitis, he thought it was a prank. It wasn't.
Louis-Marie is one of 299 people, most of them children at the time, who were allegedly raped or sexually assaulted by retired surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec, who is now facing what are widely considered the most serious charges of mass child abuse to go to trial in France.
The #MeToo movement began in 2017, in the aftermath of sexual misconduct accusations against now-imprisoned movie producer Harvey Weinstein.
Le Scouarnec detailed his rape and sexual assault of Louis-Marie, who was nine at the time, in his diaries, court documents showed. He admitted the rape of Louis-Marie to investigators, court documents also showed.
On the opening day of his trial, Le Scouarnec acknowledged committing "despicable" acts and causing irreparable harm to his victims. He has admitted to most but not all of the charges against him.
Louis-Marie's lawyer said victims of sexual violence often felt shamed into silence but the Pelicot trial was changing attitudes.
"Gisele Pelicot's courage has dramatically shifted the way victims think," Myriam Guedj Benayoun said. "They think 'we can't stay silent anymore, it's enough.'"
Louis-Marie said that despite the emotional difficulties, he wanted to speak openly about his suffering to help break down what victims and rights groups say has been a pervasive culture of silence around sexual abuse.
He said he had no recollection of the alleged abuse. Medical tests conducted as part of the investigation showed he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, court documents showed.
"I don't want this for my children and I hope speaking out can help protect them."