Judge grants bail for Alberta spiritual leader charged with sexually assaulting 4 women
CBC
John de Ruiter, the self-appointed leader of an Edmonton-based spiritual group, was granted bail Friday after being charged earlier this week with sexually assaulting four women.
Edmonton provincial court Judge Randal Brandt released the 63-year-old de Ruiter on strict conditions, including that he surrender his passport and provide a $30,000 cash deposit.
He is not to contact any of the complainants or their family members, either directly or indirectly through his followers.
He can't be within 100 metres of the complainants' places of worship, schools or workplaces.
The judge also directed that de Ruiter not be alone with any female person except for his wife, daughters or immediate family members unless under the supervision of a responsible adult who is not his wife.
That bail condition does not apply to a 49-year-old woman described as a roommate to de Ruiter and his wife at their rural home.
De Ruiter must also report to a bail supervisor regularly, live at residence approved by the bail supervisor, and remain in Alberta unless relocation is approved by the bail supervisor.
Edmonton police arrested de Ruiter on Jan. 21. Police allege he assaulted four women in separate incidents between 2017 and 2020. None of the allegations has been proven in court.
Police believe there may be additional complainants. Investigators are urging anyone with information to come forward.
"It was reported that the accused informed certain female group members that he was directed by a spirit to engage in sexual activity with them, and that engaging in sexual activity with him will provide them an opportunity to achieve a state of higher being or spiritual enlightenment," Edmonton police said in a statement Monday.
Known by his followers simply as John, de Ruiter is the leader of a group known as the College of Integrated Philosophy, or the Oasis Group, which has been operating in Edmonton for decades. The group boasts more than 300 followers in Edmonton and others around the world.
On Friday, de Ruiter appeared from the Edmonton Remand Centre via CCTV.
He often looked directly into the camera with a piercing stare familiar to his devotees.
The hearing had to be relocated to accommodate spectators, including 33 people who identified themselves as de Ruiter's supporters. His wife and two sons sat in the front row of the courtroom.
The Alberta government wants to cut more than $400 million in the fees it pays to doctors, according to a confidential memo obtained by The Canadian Press.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says Canada's incoming prime minister needs to immediately and urgently negotiate a way to avoid China's planned tariffs on Canadian canola — even before an election call.
A judge has sentenced a 48-year-old man to life in prison for brutally stabbing his ex-wife and daughter to death in North York in 2022.
Ontario is seeing a massive surge in measles cases as an ongoing outbreak spreads in the province among mostly unvaccinated people.
Prince Edward Island's Affordable Housing Development Program fell short of its intended purpose, the province's Auditor General says.
Not even cracking open a cold one is safe from tariffs.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a farewell message to Canadians Thursday as he marks his last full day in office.
The Association of Yukon Fire Chiefs says about 80 per cent of volunteer firefighters in the territory are wearing expired protective equipment, putting them in danger and in violation of occupational health and safety regulations when they respond to emergencies.
Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault will be given a new portfolio in Mark Carney's cabinet, a source with knowledge of the decision told Radio-Canada.
The Alberta government has suspended a loan program at Picture Butte Feeder Cooperative, the province's largest cattle financing cooperative, after an inspection alleged a number of financial mismanagement and regulatory issues.
If you look up at the sky late, late Thursday in the Toronto area, there's a chance you'll be able to see a total lunar eclipse and what's called a blood moon.
When wintertime calls, go where it's warm.
Colby Leamon had lost a close family member, and was looking for a dog to provide emotional support.