Amélie Lévêque was nine when she met Joël Le Scouarnec, a surgeon she thought would help her. Instead, he stole something she could never get back. On May 28, 2025, a French court sentenced the 74-year-old to 20 years for raping and assaulting 299 patients, mostly children, over decades. For Amélie and others, the verdict in Vannes was a moment of justice—but also a painful reminder of a system that failed them.

Le Scouarnec abused kids in hospital rooms, often under anesthesia, from 1989 to 2014. His diaries, uncovered in 2017, named victims and detailed his acts, calling himself a “pedophile.” A 2005 conviction for copyright didn’t stop him—he kept operating, trusted by hospitals. “I cried a lot,” Amélie recalled, learning years later her name was in his notes.

Outside the courthouse, victims stood together, holding signs for those lost to suicide. “He could be free in six years,” one said, her voice breaking. For more stories of resilience, visit alttimes.

The sentence is a start, but victims want more—they’re demanding a system that protects, not enables. Their courage is rewriting the future.