Lawyer who defended ‘devil in white coat’ doctor found dead in apparent suicide
Lawyer Maxime Tessier, who defended a former surgeon convicted of sexually abusing almost 300 patients, has been found dead in an apparent suicide, Rennes’ public prosecutor’s office reports.
Maxime Tessier, 34, had defended the man described during trial as a “devil in a white coat.” The convicted rapist was sentenced to 20 years in prison in May for crimes that included rape and sexual assault, most of them committed on children under anesthesia.
Prosecutor Frédéric Teillet said, “Everything points to suicide,” adding that an investigation is underway.
Tessier, a lawyer and father of two, was known for his high standards and strong belief in justice. His colleague, Catherine Glon, said, “We are obviously in shock. He had a very high regard for justice and was therefore very demanding towards himself.”
The convicted rapist, now 74, admitted during the trial to abusing 298 patients between 1989 and 2014. Many victims were unconscious during procedures when the abuse occurred.
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A fellow lawyer described the case as one of the most disturbing in legal history. A prosecutor referred to the former doctor as “a devil… dressed in a white coat.”
During the three-month trial, the court heard graphic testimony about how the rapist operated without detection for years. He documented his crimes in detailed notebooks, listing victims’ names, ages, and the abuse. He even described himself as a “major pervert” and said, “And I am very happy about it.”
The convicted man told the court, “I’m not asking the court for leniency. Simply grant me the right to become a better person.” In his final statement, he also said, “I can no longer look at myself the same way because I am a paedophile and a child rapist.”
He confessed to indirectly causing the deaths of two victims — Mathis Vinet, who died of an overdose in 2021, and Alan Roux, who was found hanged in 2020. He stated, “I am responsible for the deaths of Mathis Vinet… and Alan Roux.”
Lawyer Tessier had asked the court to consider the “exceptional” nature of his client’s confessions. However, prosecutors argued that the man posed a “very high risk” of reoffending and should never be released.
The Attorney General revealed that the proven crimes involved 158 male and 141 female victims, with an average age of just 11 years. Many survivors had no memory of the abuse because they were unconscious at the time.
Outside the courthouse, survivors and activists protested with banners reading “No excuse for abuses” and “Never again.” A 43-year-old woman testified that she was repeatedly raped as a child in a hospital bed, saying it destroyed her life.
Other victims also came forward. One man, now 31, said he was assaulted at 13 after surgery. A woman, now 42, found her abuse recorded in the rapist’s diary.
The crimes went undetected for decades, despite a 2005 conviction for child abuse images. The court concluded that the crimes were particularly serious because of the number of victims, their young age, and the compulsive nature of the abuse.
The convicted man’s wife, Marie-France, was accused by victims of turning a blind eye for years, though she denied knowing anything. His brother told the court, “There is another person who could have ensured that my brother was arrested – it is his wife, Marie-France.”
She responded, “I wondered how I could have not noticed anything. It’s a terrible betrayal that he committed against me and my children.”
The lawyer’s sudden death has left the legal community in shock, as authorities continue investigating the circumstances surrounding his suicide.
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