On Wednesday, April 8, the National Assembly launched a rapid inquiry into the case of Joël Le Scouarnec, a former surgeon sentenced to 20 years in prison for sexually abusing minors. Four female members of parliament will serve as co-rapporteurs, including the Green Party member Sandrine Rousseau, who announced her intention to "address the systemic nature of this violence."
The idea is simple on paper and formidable in practice: to understand how assaults could have continued for years around a professional in contact with children, in a country which nevertheless piles up procedures, reports and control authorities.
Ignored warnings, absent controls: the State confronts its blind spots
At the heart of the investigation lies a troubling question: who saw, who knew, who turned a blind eye? Sandrine Rousseau points to "major failings" and cites the justice system, the Ministry of Health, hospitals, and the Medical Council—all mechanisms that are supposed to kick in at the slightest suspicion. Around fifteen hearings are planned, first with the victims, then with journalists, the Medical Council, the judicial police, and those involved in the trial, with the aim of developing legislative proposals and a bill targeted for consideration "in September or October," to be examined before the end of the current term.
The issue of sentences also arises, with Le Scouarnec able to request an adjustment from 2030, Rousseau believing that serial rapists are not treated "like serial killers": if Parliament wants to hit the mark, it will have to look beyond the hospital alone and set rules that can hold in all institutions where minors cross paths with adults in positions of authority.
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