A 74-year-old man from Belgium has been sentenced to five years in prison for sexually assaulting a young boy diagnosed with Down’s syndrome. The retired doctor, formerly practicing in Liège, received the sentence with one-third suspended after a trial at the Liège Court of Appeal. The incidents occurred in March and May 2021, with the victim revealing that he was assaulted twice by the perpetrator, who had maintained a relationship with the boy’s father and continued to see patients post-retirement.
One assault took place during a shared shower at the doctor’s residence following a sports activity, while the details of the second incident were less clear. Despite the defendant denying the accusations, inconsistencies in his explanation for being in the shower with the child were noted. Physical evidence of sexual abuse was found during a medical examination, and a psychological evaluation labeled the former GP as having a narcissistic personality.
In a previous trial, the defendant was initially given a five-year sentence with two-thirds suspended. Prosecutors had sought a longer prison term due to the victim’s vulnerability, while the defendant’s legal team argued for an acquittal or a suspended sentence.
This case emerges amidst a shocking instance of medical child abuse in France involving Joel Le Scouarnec, a 74-year-old paedophile surgeon found guilty of sexually assaulting numerous individuals, predominantly underage patients, across several decades. Le Scouarnec admitted to 111 rapes and 188 sexual assaults, leading to a maximum 20-year prison sentence. Earlier, he had been incarcerated in 2020 for similar crimes against his child neighbor, nieces, and a young patient.
During investigations, authorities uncovered electronic diaries chronicling three decades of abuse perpetrated on young patients in medical facilities throughout western France. The victims, with an average age of 11, comprised 158 males and 141 females. Prosecutors emphasized the aggravating factor of his medical status, allowing him to escape justice for an extended period.
Le Scouarnec maintained a detailed journal documenting the names, ages, and nature of abuse inflicted on his victims. Allegedly, on each birthday, he wrote: “I am a paedophile, and I am proud of it.”