The then wife of the French former surgeon on trial for allegedly assaulting or raping 299 patients was aware of his actions but "did nothing", the doctor's brother told the court Wednesday, adding he hoped he would be jailed for life.
Retired surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec, 74, has been on trial in the western city of Vannes since Monday in one of the country's largest child sex abuse cases.
Two hundred and fifty-six of the victims were under 15 at the time, the youngest aged one and the oldest 70.
Marie-France "could have made sure that my brother was arrested", the doctor's sibling told the court.
The brother, whose name AFP is not disclosing to protect his privacy, admitted to a strong feeling of dislike towards his brother's then wife and acknowledged that he had no "proof" to support his claims.
Marie-France divorced Le Scouarnec in 2023.
The brother accused Marie-France of "loving her husband for his money" and having sexual relations with other men while she was married.
He also said his brother should be imprisoned for life.
"It would be good for society," he added.
The former surgeon is already in jail, having been found guilty in 2020 of abusing four children, including two of his nieces.
In the latest trial, Le Scouarnec faces allegations that he assaulted or raped 299 patients at a dozen hospitals between 1989 and 2014, in many cases while they were waking up from anaesthetic or during post-op checkups.
If convicted, Le Scouarnec faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Five years his junior, the brother claimed to have cut all ties with Le Scouarnec since his arrest in 2017.
Le Scouarnec asked his brother to forgive him.
"I committed the worst of crimes, I know it is unforgivable, and I know you will never forgive me," he said.
"But in the name of our memories, I ask for your forgiveness," he added.
Marie-France, 71, was expected to speak later Wednesday.
She has said she never had the slightest suspicion about her husband's paedophilic tendencies, despite evidence to the contrary including a 2005 suspended jail sentence for owning sexually abusive images of children.
The surgeon practised for decades until his retirement, despite that verdict and colleagues raising concerns about him.
- 'Taboos' -
Le Scouarnec meticulously documented his crimes, noting his victims' names, ages and addresses and the nature of the abuse.
In his notes, the doctor describes himself as a "major pervert" and a "paedophile".
"And I am very happy about it," he recorded.
Under French law, rape is "any act of sexual penetration, of whatever nature, or any oral-genital act committed on another person or on the person of the perpetrator through violence, coercion, threat or surprise".
The case has caused outrage in a country still traumatised by the revelations of the recent trial of Dominique Pelicot, who was convicted of enlisting dozens of strangers to rape his heavily sedated wife.
Victims and child rights advocates say Le Scouarnec's case highlights systemic shortcomings that allowed him to repeatedly commit sexual crimes.
On Tuesday two sons of the former surgeon, aged 37 and 42, told the court of the devastation their father's case had wrought on the family.
Le Scouarnec's 42-year-old son said his father's "perversion exploded like an atomic bomb" in the family.
He told the court he had himself been raped and sexually abused by his grandfather, Le Scouarnec's father, from the age of five to 10 years old.
Marie Grimaud, a lawyer representing 39 victims, said that Le Scouarnec's children grew up in a family where many things were not discussed.
"Taboos existed, there were unspoken things," she said.
By Anais Llobet And Laurent Banguet