Interior Health’s former top doctor, Dr. Albert de Villiers, has been issued a two-year peace bond for sex-related charges. This is the second case involving him and a minor.
Dr. de Villiers attended trial in Grande Prairie court to receive his verdict, which included charges of voyeurism, making sexually explicit material available to a child, and invitation to sexual touching. The offenses involving a child occurred between January 2017 and December 2019, and he was arrested for questioning in June 2021.
As a result of the trial, Dr. de Villiers was granted a $2,000 peace bond on the condition that he never contacts the victims or their families and refrains from consuming alcohol or drugs. However, all charges against him were withdrawn by the presiding Justice as he is already serving a five-and-a-half-year sentence for committing a sexual assault against another underage victim. This previous conviction occurred in February when the Court of King’s Bench Justice Shaina Leonard found him guilty of sexually assaulting a child and sexual interference over multiple incidents between 2018 and 2020 in Grande Prairie.
It is worth noting that Dr. de Villiers worked as Interior Health’s chief medical health officer from the summer of 2020 to June 2021. Prior to that, he had worked for Alberta Health Services (AHS) for 16 years as a medical health officer, including the period during which he committed the sex crime.
During the trial, which took place from January 10 to 12, the victim, who is now 11 years old, testified alongside their parents and Dr. de Villiers himself. The court has imposed a publication ban to protect the identity of the victim.
According to court proceedings, the child informed their mother in May 2021 that Dr. de Villiers had shown them pornographic videos during several sleepovers and touched their genitals. The child also stated that Dr. de Villiers had performed oral sex on them and warned them not to tell anyone about the incidents. The crimes occurred when the child was between seven and nine years old, and they informed the police that they happened repeatedly.
The victim testified in court that Dr. de Villiers manipulated them during the incidents. In her closing statements, Crown prosecutor Amber Pickrell focused on a voicemail Dr. de Villiers left for the child’s father in June 2021, apologizing for his actions and acknowledging that he should have come forward earlier. Despite denying the allegations against him, Dr. de Villiers was convicted of sexual interference and sexual assault by Justice Leonard. However, due to the “Kienapple principle,” which prevents a person from being convicted of two offenses arising from the same act, the sexual assault charge was stayed.
These disturbing cases raise concerns about the actions of a person in a position of authority and trust within the healthcare system. The charges and convictions highlight the need for proper vetting and ongoing monitoring of individuals working in sensitive roles, particularly those involving the care and wellbeing of minors.
It is essential that steps are taken to ensure the safety and protection of vulnerable individuals and that individuals who engage in such illegal activities face appropriate legal consequences. Authorities must continue to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of offenses involving the sexual exploitation of minors to prevent further harm in our communities.
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