A new judicial investigation has been launched against Joël Le Scouarnec, a former surgeon who was previously sentenced to 20 years in prison for raping and sexually assaulting nearly 300 victims. The investigation, announced by the prosecutor’s office in Lorient, involves ten additional rapes and 40 sexual assaults, believed to have occurred between 1987 and 2017, affecting 48 victims. This new probe adds to the already staggering number of alleged crimes attributed to Le Scouarnec, who is one of the most notorious figures in France’s history of sexual violence. Two victims, Aurore Jobard and Stéphanie Bonnet, testified publicly for the first time, seeking to end the silence surrounding the crimes and encourage others to come forward. Aurore Jobard, who is Le Scouarnec’s niece, said she was not surprised that more victims would come forward, suggesting that the true number of victims may be even higher than the current count. Stéphanie Bonnet described the situation as “a story without end,” emphasizing the ongoing nature of the trauma and the need for societal change. Both women called for an end to the stigma surrounding sexual violence and urged adults to take action to protect children. Aurore Jobard testified publicly to create awareness and encourage children to speak out, while Stéphanie Bonnet hoped their stories would help others break their silence or help adults recognize the signs of potential abuse. Stéphanie Bonnet noted that there has been a growing awareness among political leaders, citing Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s proposal to allocate 1.5 billion euros to combat gender-based violence and 2.6 billion euros for child protection. She described how Le Scouarnec used his social status and professional role as a surgeon to manipulate and control both children and adults. Her mother, for example, fully trusted him, allowing him to be alone with her for years. She recounted incidents where Le Scouarnec would enter her room, turn on the bedside light, and proceed with inappropriate physical contact before escalating further. She first spoke publicly about the assaults in 2017 after her name was found in the surgeon’s notebooks and mentioned by him during earlier investigations. Aurore Jobard first spoke about the assaults in 2017 after her uncle acknowledged her as a victim. She described the attacks as involving “clumsy gestures” that made her uncomfortable, and noted that her sister had first revealed the assaults when she was just 9 years old. Notably, many of the rapes and sexual assaults by Le Scouarnec did not occur in private settings; most of the victims were his patients, often in a state of sleep or vulnerability at the time of the incidents. This pattern highlights the exploitation of trust and power that was central to his crimes.