Interior Health’s former Chief Medical Health Officer, Dr. Albert de Villiers, has been found guilty of sexual assault against a child.
Alberta Court of King’s Bench Justice Shaina Leonard released her verdict in Grande Prairie this morning after a three-day trial last month.
Leonard found De Villiers to be guilty of one count of sexual assault and one count of sexual interference related to his interactions with the child – the son of a family friend – whose identity is protected by a publication ban.
During the trial, Crown prosecutors said they found de Villiers’ defence to be “inconsistent” and based on “frail evidence” with court hearing he hosted the now 11-year-old victim at his home on multiple occasions.
Testifying in his own defence, de Villiers – who had pleaded not guilty to the charges – denied the allegations, according to reporting by CBC Edmonton, saying that while he and the boy became close, the abuse – which allegedly happened during sleepovers at the de Villiers home – never happened.
The public broadcaster also reported that de Villiers also believed that he overstepped boundaries and was too involved by acting more like a parent than a friend.
Leonard found that de Villiers sexually assaulted the young victim four times between June 15, 2018, and July 31, 2020, while he was the lead medical health officer for Alberta Health Service’s Northern Zone.
He moved to Kelowna in Aug. 2020 to take on the his new role with Interior Health, a position he was in for about 10 months prior to his arrest in June 2021.
A date for sentencing has not yet been set, with the case back in court next Monday, Feb. 13.
De Villiers is also set to go on trial in August on separate charges of voyeurism, making explicit material available to a child, and invitation to sexual touching, related to incidents that allegedly took place between Jan. 2017 and Dec. 2019.
In a brief statement, Interior Health said it was aware of the guilty verdict against Dr. de Villiers, hinting that his employment with the health authority will be coming to an end, if it hasn’t already.
“Given the leadership and public-facing role of the chief medical health officer, and the critical importance for the incumbent to comply with all respects of professional standards, it is Interior Health’s position that a person convicted of criminal charges of this nature is unable to fulfill the duties of the position,” the statement said.
“Due to privacy laws, and the fact that the matter involving Dr. de Villiers continues to be before the courts, we are not able to provide further comment.”
Following his arrest, de Villiers was on general paid leave from Interior Health between Jun 9, 2021 and Oct. 3, 2021. He returned to work on Oct. 4, 2021 where he was “reassigned to project MHO duties.”
Interior Health’s most recent financial statements also show he was paid $361,656 during the 2021-22 fiscal year.
