Joel Le Scouarnec faces probe into 50 alleged abuse offences

French prosecutors have opened a new judicial investigation into surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec, who was convicted last year of raping or sexually abusing hundreds of patients, authorities said Wednesday.

Lorient public prosecutor Laetitia Mirande said the new investigation covers 40 counts of sexual assault and 10 counts of rape. She said the alleged offences involve 48 victims and date from 1987 to 2017.

Mirande said the alleged offences involve minors under 15 or were committed by a person abusing authority linked to their position. She said further offences came to light or were confirmed during Le Scouarnec's trial, and that authorities had also received additional complaints.

Le Scouarnec was sentenced last year to the maximum 20-year prison term for the rape or sexual assault of 299 patients, most of them minors. During that trial, he admitted sexually assaulting or raping 299 patients, including 256 under the age of 15, in hospitals between 1989 and 2014.

He was arrested in 2017 after a complaint that he had raped a six-year-old neighbour. Police then found computer files documenting crimes and listing victims' names, ages and addresses, as well as the nature of the abuse.