According to the France Bleu media outlet, the verdict was announced by the local court in the French western Saintes commune. The 70-year-old ex-surgeon was tried since Monday behind closed doors at the request of the underage victims, which include two of his nieces, a patient and a neighbour.
In addition to 15 years in prison, the sentence also includes a three-year socio-judicial follow-up. The defendant has 10 days to appeal the sentence.
The news outlet reported that Le Scouarnec remained impassive during the hearing, and acknowledged that he felt remorse and regret over his deeds but did not voice any apologies.
The former surgeon has been charged with the rape and sexual assault of 312 people in certain French cities over several years. He faced his first sentence of several months in prison back in 2005 on charges of possession of child pornography.
After Le Scouarnec retired in 2017 from his work as a surgeon, he remained in custody pending the trial on the sexual assault of four underage girls on March 13. However, the hearing was postponed due to the pandemic-linked lockdown.
