Three rapes and 23 sexual assaults during acupuncture sessions: these are the charges against a former dentist, who will be tried in Orleans from Monday before the Loiret Assize Court.
The trial, scheduled for ten days of hearings, will have an extraordinary dimension: facing the practitioner, 23 alleged victims, some of whom were minors at the time of the events, will take their place on the bench of the civil parties.
Massages
The sexagenarian is accused of having taken advantage of acupuncture sessions, used in particular as an alternative method to soothe patients particularly stressed by dental care, to commit the attacks.
During sessions in his office in Chalette-sur-Loing (Loiret), near Montargis, Dr. Stéphane Schoener also performed massages on the victims, whose vulnerability was retained by the instruction. These body massages sometimes degenerated into digital penetration.
On remand
During the investigation, a search of the office enabled the police to discover images of a sexual nature on the computer of the accused: using a spy camera, the dentist was taking pictures without notifying his patient. During the procedure, complainants had recognized themselves on stolen images.
In pre-trial detention since 2019 after having practiced thirty years in the agglomeration of Montargis, in liberal and in the hospital, the man is prosecuted for rape of a minor by person having authority, sexual assault on a 15-year-old minor by person in authority, sexual assault with torture or acts of barbarism, sexual assault and rape by a person abusing the authority conferred on him by his position.
He is also prosecuted for invasion of privacy by fixing, recording or transmitting the image of a person of a sexual nature.
He disputes the charges of sexual assault and rape
Facing the investigators, the former dentist admitted having recorded the sessions without the consent of the victims. He also did not deny having performed massages on the victims. He, however, contested the charges of sexual assault and rape.
Contacted by AFP, defense lawyers and civil parties did not wish to speak before the hearing.