Two years after being sentenced for a conviction of sexual interference of a child, the former chief medical officer of Interior Health Albert Stefanus de Villiers, has surrendered his licence with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia, and has agreed to never reapply to practice medicine.
By surrendering his medical licence to the college, De Villiers has lost his ability longer be able to practice medicine in the province. The disciplinary action, which was posted publicly on May 20, states that De Villiers surrendered his license on March 1, 2023, as part of a agreement with the college's Inquiry Committee.
It says that De Villiers also agreed not to reapply for a license in any other jurisdiction.
The incidents of sexual misconduct involving a child are alleged to have occurred while he was living and working in Alberta as the Alberta Health Services’ north zone (AHS) senior medical officer of health.
According to the evidence heard in the criminal trial, De Villiers had befriended the family of his underage victim while he was working as the lead medical health officer in northern Alberta, between the years of 2017 and 2020. Several incidents are believed to have occurred during that time.
It was only after De Villiers moved to Kelowna, to work as the chief medical officer of Interior Health, that the child reported the abuse to their parents. The formed physician was arrested in June 2021 on charges of sexual abuse and interference of a minor, after working as Interior Health's chief medical officer for less than a year.
Following his arrest, B.C. health region then placed De Villierson on administrative duties, but he continued to draw a salary and benefits until he was found guilty and terminated on Feb. 7 2023. According to public records, De Villiers was paid $356,738 for the 2021-22 fiscal year, and and $346,536 for the 2022-23 fiscal year.
De Villiers was initially charged with one count of sexual assault and one count of sexual interference with a minor, but the charge of sexual assault was stayed as it was deemed to be too similar to the charge of sexual interference.
On February 7, 2023, De Villiers was found guilty by the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta of sexual interference and in June of that year, he was sentenced to five and a half years in prison.
Two other charges were also raised against De Villiers but were ultimately withdrawn and instead, the presiding judge added a $2,000 peace bond, as well as a lifetime no-contact order with the alleged victim.
"De Villiers’s conduct was egregious," said B.C. College of Physicians and Surgeons' Inquiry Committee in its May 2, disciplinary decision to bar the former doctor from practicing medicine.
