Former B.C. Health Officer Convicted of Child Sex Abuse Granted Full Parole

⚠️ Content warning: This article contains references to sexual abuse that may be distressing to some readers.

Albert de Villiers, the former chief medical officer for Interior Health in British Columbia, has been granted full parole after being convicted of sexually abusing a young boy in Alberta.

In February 2023, de Villiers was found guilty in Grande Prairie, Alta., of repeated sexual interference against a child over a two-year period between 2018 and 2020. He was sentenced to five and a half years in prison. Prior to his 2021 arrest, he held public health roles in both Alberta and B.C., including serving as Interior Health's top doctor beginning in August 2020.

According to an April 6 decision from the Parole Board of Canada, de Villiers has been on day parole at a halfway house since October 2024 and has shown no issues under supervision. The board said he is considered a minimal-security offender and “does not present an undue risk to society.”

“You have spent the majority of your time rebuilding your relationship with your wife and sons,” the decision noted, also citing approved family visits and outdoor recreation.

Strict Conditions Remain in Place

The board outlined several conditions for de Villiers’s full parole:

• No contact with the victim or their family.

• No contact with male children under 16 unless approved by a parole officer.

• No visits to schools, parks, playgrounds, or other child-centered areas.

• No access to pornography or sexually explicit material.

• No possession of more than one phone or SIM card without permission.

• Must provide parole officers with full access to digital communications.

The board said a psychological assessment found his risk of reoffending to be “very low” in general, “low” for violence, and “average” for sexual reoffending — with the caveat that this risk is even lower when he has no unsupervised access to children.

De Villiers is now working with his wife on an online business, and his parole plan includes support from family and a spiritual advisor.

Offence Considered ‘Grave’

Despite approving parole, the board emphasized the seriousness of the offence. It cited several aggravating factors, including the victim’s young age, the use of grooming, a prolonged period of abuse, and de Villiers’s position of trust.

“The impact on the victim and the betrayal of trust cannot be overstated,” the board stated.

De Villiers remains under close supervision, and any breach of parole conditions could result in a return to custody.