The second woman to publicly accuse Alice Munro含羞草研究社檚 late husband of targeting her sexually when she was a child says she hopes her story will encourage parents to believe their children.
Jane Morrey was nine years old when she says Gerald Fremlin exposed himself to her while he was staying at her family含羞草研究社檚 Toronto home, several years before he married Munro. Fifty-five years later, she was inspired to speak publicly about it for the first time after learning that Fremlin had later sexually abused one of Munro含羞草研究社檚 daughters, Andrea Robin Skinner, when she, too, was nine.
Morrey, 64, says her experience was profoundly different from Skinner含羞草研究社檚. Last month, Skinner described in an essay for the Toronto Star how for years after Fremlin assaulted her, she was sent back to her mother含羞草研究社檚 home every summer and continued to be abused by him. Her mother含羞草研究社檚 decision to stay with Fremlin after learning of the sexual abuse has tarnished the legacy of one of Canada含羞草研究社檚 most celebrated authors. Munro died in May, aged 92.
When Fremlin targeted Morrey, she said, her mother threw him out of the house immediately, and Morrey never saw him again until she was an adult. Looking back now, she said she doesn含羞草研究社檛 feel 含羞草研究社減articularly traumatized含羞草研究社� by the incident.
含羞草研究社淚 never grew up feeling like I did something wrong, ever,含羞草研究社� she said in a phone interview on Monday. 含羞草研究社淚 felt like I was completely vindicated, because I was believed, instantly.含羞草研究社�
Morrey, who first told her story to the Toronto Star, hopes her decision to speak out will help other parents understand how important it is to act decisively. 含羞草研究社淎side from Alice Munro含羞草研究社檚 fame, aside from everything, if something happens and your child tells you, then believe them and act accordingly,含羞草研究社� she said.
It was only after Skinner含羞草研究社檚 essay was published that it became known Fremlin, who died in 2013 at the age of 88, had pleaded guilty in 2005 to indecently assaulting his stepdaughter.
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Fremlin was a close family friend of Morrey含羞草研究社檚 parents. They had attended the University of Western Ontario together, along with Alice and Jim Munro, who would become the author含羞草研究社檚 first husband and the father of her three daughters, including Andrea.
Morrey含羞草研究社檚 older sister, Marianne Webb, said Fremlin visited their family often, and she doesn含羞草研究社檛 remember a time when he wasn含羞草研究社檛 friends with her parents. She said he never acted inappropriately toward her, and she remembers being 含羞草研究社渒ind of jealous含羞草研究社� that he would send her little sister postcards from his travels around the world. Now, she sees the behaviour as 含羞草研究社渟ubtle grooming.含羞草研究社�
Morrey, who is seven years younger than Webb, said she loved getting postcards, gifts and attention from Fremlin and saw him as something of an uncle.
Then, when Fremlin was visiting in 1969, nine-year-old Morrey went into his room one morning to ask what he wanted for breakfast. She said he threw his blanket off and exposed himself to her. Shocked, she left the room and began making oatmeal.
She said Fremlin then followed her to the kitchen and told her, 含羞草研究社淚 shouldn含羞草研究社檛 have flashed my c含羞草研究社攌 at you.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檇 never heard adults talk that way or use that kind of word,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淢y parents were very clinical about stuff.含羞草研究社�
But Fremlin went on, she remembers. 含羞草研究社淭hen he said, 含羞草研究社極K, so you got to see me. Maybe you含羞草研究社檇 like to show me yours.含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫
At that point, Morrey said, she left the room and woke up her mother to tell her what had happened. 含羞草研究社淢y mother went berserk when I told her,含羞草研究社� she said, and immediately got the girls to leave the house. Webb said they waited at the end of the street until they saw Fremlin含羞草研究社檚 car drive off.
When they got back, Morrey said, her parents told her Fremlin was never coming back to the house. After that, 含羞草研究社渢hey just didn含羞草研究社檛 speak of it again,含羞草研究社� she said.
Morrey didn含羞草研究社檛 see Fremlin again until nearly two decades later, at a 1986 launch for one of Munro含羞草研究社檚 books. Munro and Fremlin had married 10 years earlier. 含羞草研究社淚 went up to him and I said, 含羞草研究社榊ou probably don含羞草研究社檛 recognize me but I含羞草研究社檓 Jane Webb,含羞草研究社� and he just looked terrified,含羞草研究社� she said.
She didn含羞草研究社檛 confront him about the incident from her childhood, but she wanted to scare him. 含羞草研究社淗e scared me when I was little and I wanted to look him in the eye and watch him squirm. I wanted him to worry about what I might do or say,含羞草研究社� she said in an email. 含羞草研究社淚 guess I wanted to show him that he wasn含羞草研究社檛 the only person with power.含羞草研究社�
Morrey has not spoken with Skinner, who was assaulted by Fremlin in 1976, several years after Morrey says he targeted her. But Morrey said she always wondered whether Fremlin had other victims, and whether anything might have happened with any of Munro含羞草研究社檚 daughters. 含羞草研究社淚t was always kind of in the back of my mind, but I never really thought about it very much at all until (Skinner含羞草研究社檚) article,含羞草研究社� she said.
Now, she hopes other potential victims will feel safe enough to come forward. 含羞草研究社淎s victims, there含羞草研究社檚 no shame in it,含羞草研究社� she said.
Years after the incident, when Morrey was an adult, her mother struck up a new friendship with Fremlin. At that point, she said, her relationship with her mother was strained and she never confronted her about the friendship, which was short-lived. Webb also suspects their father quietly maintained a friendship with Munro含羞草研究社檚 husband. Both her parents have since died.
含羞草研究社淭he real enigma was how my parents recognized that he was a predator who needed to be kept away from their daughter and yet continued to enjoy his friendship,含羞草研究社� Morrey said by email. 含羞草研究社淗ow he found a wife and at least two friends who could knowingly ignore his abhorrent and criminal behaviour is truly mind-boggling.含羞草研究社�
Ultimately, though, she含羞草研究社檚 grateful to her mother for doing 含羞草研究社渢he right thing in the moment,含羞草研究社� especially when she contrasts her experience with Skinner含羞草研究社檚.
含羞草研究社淭hat was probably the most important thing she ever did for me,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淭he confidence that it gives you in being believed is so important.含羞草研究社�
Maura Forrest, The Canadian Press
