A Vernon physiotherapist who is facing four counts of sexual assault is also being investigated by the College of Physical Therapists of BC.
A statement from the college said they are “aware that one of our registrants, Stephen Witvoet, was charged with two new counts of sexual assault under the Criminal Code for conduct while he was treating female patients.
“The college has a mandate to protect the public and takes these allegations seriously. The college has taken immediate steps to initiate its own investigation into these allegations in accordance with the process set out in the Health Professions Act.
“A bail condition currently prohibits Mr. Witvoet from treating female patients. If the bail condition is altered or lifted, the act allows the college to take immediate action to ensure public safety until the investigation is complete or pending a disciplinary hearing. However, courts have held that colleges must impose the least restrictive action possible to mitigate the risk at this stage of the process. It would not be appropriate to comment further while these investigations are underway but the College will cooperate fully with law authorities.”
Witvoet is scheduled to appear in a Vernon court room Thursday for the continuation of a trial that began in May on the two original sexual assault charges.
Last week, Vernon RCMP charged Witvoet with two new offenses and made a public plea for anymore victims to come forward.
The alleged incidents occurred in Vernon in 2015 and 2016.
The names of the complainants are protected by a court-ordered publication ban.
Witvoet has been practicing physiotherapy in Vernon for the past 14 years and was most recently employed by Thrive Physiotherapy and Sports Injury Clinic.
Witvoet's profile is no longer included on the clinic's website.
- Darren Handschuh, Castanet
