By Camille CAGNOT, a COFRA doctoral student in ethology

"On February 24, 2025, the trial of Joël Le Scouarnec began. He was charged with sexual assault and rape committed between 1989 and 2014 against more than 300 victims, both girls and boys, minors and adults alike. The vast majority of the assaults were documented in his notebooks, known as the “black notebooks.” This trial quickly attracted public and media attention, both due to the atrocity of the crimes committed and the scale of the proceedings. An unusual element also piqued the public’s interest: the presence of court assistance dogs. Indeed, about a dozen dogs took turns over the three months of the trial to accompany the civil parties. But who are these dogs? (...)"

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