A former French surgeon on trial accused of raping and sexually assaulting 299 patients, mostly children, has admitted guilt in a "vast majority" of those cases, his lawyer has said.

A former surgeon is accused of raping or sexually assaulting 299 people, mostly children, over 25 years. It is considered to be France’s largest-ever pedophilia case.

A former French surgeon accused of raping or sexually abusing 299 victims, mostly children under his care, is set to stand trial in France on Monday.

Joel Le Scouarnec documented details of his sexual assaults on patients in electronic diaries and described himself as a "major pervert" and a "paedophile".

In total, 256 of the 299 victims were under 15, with the youngest aged one and the oldest aged 70.