Closing arguments Thursday in trial of Interior Health’s former top doctor charged with sexual offences

GRANDE PRAIRIE, ALTA. — Closing arguments in the trial of Interior Health’s former chief medical health officer, who was charged with sexual offences against a child, will be heard Thursday morning (Jan. 12) in Grande Prairie court.

Dr. Albert Stefanus de Villiers testified in his own defence Wednesday (Jan. 11).

He denied all allegations against him under both direct examination by defence counsel and under cross-examination by the Crown prosecutor, including when asked directly if he had touched the alleged victim in a sexual manner.

Court heard that the two families had become friends and the kids from one family had sleepovers at the home of de Villiers and his wife.

A lot of the questioning from both sides concerned a voicemail left by de Villiers with the family of the alleged victim after the second family had ended contact and blocked them on social media, specifically if the message had included saying I did something wrong or if I did something wrong. de Villiers says he was referring to acting more as a parent for the kids rather than a friend, feeling he had overstepped boundaries.

The Crown suggested he was referring to the allegations made in court, something he denied.

De Villiers was arrested on June 8, 2021, with assistance from Kelowna RCMP, and charged with sexual assault and sexual interference in connection with alleged incidents that happened between 2018 and 2020.

De Villiers took over as chief medical health officer of Interior Health in August 2020.

Previously he worked out of Grande Prairie as the lead medical health officer with Alberta’s north zone. He originally came to Canada from South Africa.

The accusations have not been proven in court.