A former French surgeon was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Wednesday after having confessed to the abuse of 299 patients, most of them minors.

In what is considered to be France’s largest child-abuse trial.

A retired medical doctor Joël Le Scouarnec, 74, admitted to abusing a total of 158 male and 141 female patients with an average age of 11 between 1989 and 2014.

Prosecutors had accused the defendant of having treated his victims like lifeless objects, showing no empathy whatsoever, and exploiting his position as a doctor.

He often abused patients who were still under anaesthetic or children who were unable to classify his actions as abuse.

The case had shocked France, and questions have been raised as to why the health authorities were unable to stop the doctor earlier.

He was given a suspended sentence for child pornography in 2005. (dpa/NAN)