Alberta trial dates set for former Interior Health top doctor

Photo: Interior Health

Dr. Albert de Villiers

The former chief medical health officer in the B.C. Interior will go on trial early next year for alleged sex crimes in Alberta.

Trial dates were set Monday for Dr. Albert de Villiers, who was charged in June 2021 with sexual assault and sexual interference against a young child, stemming from alleged incidents in the Grande Prairie area between 2018 and 2020.

The judge-alone trial will take place in Grand Prairie Jan. 10-12, 2023.

De Villiers was the senior medical officer of health for Alberta's north zone, where he was based out of Alberta, before he moved to Kelowna for Interior Health's top doctor position in August 2020.

He spent a night in custody when charges were laid in June 2021, but he was released on bail the following day under a number of conditions, which include not being in the presence of anyone under the age of 16, unless with an approved person.

Prior to his arrest, de Villiers had been IH's go-to person for communicating COVID-19 pandemic information to the public.

Dr. Sue Pollock took over as interim chief medical health officer at IH after de Villiers was charged.

with files from Nich Johansen