French paedophile surgeon who abused hundreds jailed for 20 years - BBC News

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In the past half hour, France's most prolific paedophile has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Joel Esquanach admitted to raping and sexually assaulting hundreds of children under his care.

He admitted to all the charges which took place between 1989 and 2014.

Many of his victims were sedated when he attacked them and had no idea what had happened.

He's already in prison after being sentenced for raping and sexually assaulting four children, including two of his nieces.

Let's take a look back at the case with our correspondent, Andrew Harding.

In the police car, France's most prolific paedophile heading back to court here in the town of Vannes.

The verdict at Joelle Lusquanek's trial has never been in doubt, the 74-year-old admitting repeatedly to decades spent abusing hundreds of children.

I am a paedophile and a child rapist, he told the court.

I was finally able to accept that.

It was a relief.

I've come to understand the suffering of my victims.

I devastated their lives.

During the trial, the prosecution called the retired surgeon a devil in a white coat.

His crimes left some of his 300 or more victims struggling with trauma they barely understood.

Today, grown up, many of those victims told us they had no trust in Lusquanek's expressions of remorse.

I saw no sincerity from him.

I just hope he cannot hurt people anymore.

But I don't expect him to change.

Leskwanik spent years raping patients in rural hospitals, but administrators knew as far back as 2005 that he was a paedophile, that he'd watched child abuse online.

He still kept his job.

This case has exposed serious failings by the French police and medical establishment, who could have intervened and stopped Lesquanek's crimes many years earlier.

There's also real concern today that the issue of child abuse is still not being taken seriously enough by the French establishment.

Last year, Giselle Pellicot drew global attention to the trial of her 50 rapists and to the issue of drug-facilitated rape.

By contrast, many of Lusquanek's victims feel forgotten.

Some have now begun to protest, accusing the French authorities and local medical bosses of failing to accept their share of the blame.

They're in denial.

It's both individual and collective.

It's quite astonishing, really.

Our government and our society are not outraged.

The rape of children seems too complicated to acknowledge.

France denies this exists.

Perhaps this trial, with all its devastating detail, will now prompt some soul-searching in France.

Lesquanek himself says he wants to become a better person, to regain his humanity during the long years that now await him in prison.

Andrew Harding, BBC News, Van.