Albert de Villiers, the former chief medical officer for British Columbia’s Interior Health Authority, has been granted full parole after serving less than two years of a five-and-a-half-year prison sentence for sexually abusing a young boy in Alberta.
De Villiers was convicted in February 2023 in Grande Prairie, Alberta, for repeated sexual interference against the child over a two-year period from 2018 to 2020.
He was sentenced to five and a half years in prison. Prior to his arrest in 2021, de Villiers held prominent public health roles, including 16 years as a medical health officer in northern Alberta and, from August 2020, as Interior Health’s top doctor in Kelowna, B.C.
The Parole Board of Canada, in a decision dated April 6, 2025, determined that de Villiers does not pose an undue risk to society and has complied fully with day parole conditions since October 2024. He has been classified as a minimum-security offender and has shown no reported issues while residing at a halfway house.
The board noted that de Villiers has focused on rebuilding his relationships with his wife and sons and has been permitted to engage in pro-social activities such as hiking and spending time in nature.
He has also secured employment working with his wife on an online business and maintains support from his family and faith community, including ongoing sessions with his rabbi.
Despite the parole approval, strict conditions remain in place to protect the public and the victim. De Villiers is prohibited from contacting the victim or any male children under 16 without approval, owning multiple phones or SIM cards without permission, accessing pornography or sexually explicit materials, and entering areas frequented by children such as schools, parks, and playgrounds.
The board emphasized the severity of de Villiers’s offenses, highlighting the young age of the victim, the grooming behavior, the duration and frequency of abuse, and the breach of trust inherent in his position. The decision stated that the harm caused to the victim and family is profound and cannot be overstated.
De Villiers voluntarily surrendered his medical licence in 2023 and is barred from practicing medicine in British Columbia or any other jurisdiction.
This case underscores the critical importance of safeguarding vulnerable individuals and the lasting impact of abuse, while illustrating the parole system’s role in balancing public safety with rehabilitation efforts.
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