The second woman to publicly accuse Alice Munro香蕉视频直播檚 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香蕉视频直播檚 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香蕉视频直播檚 daughters, Andrea Robin Skinner, when she, too, was nine.
Morrey, 64, says her experience was profoundly different from Skinner香蕉视频直播檚. 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香蕉视频直播檚 home every summer and continued to be abused by him. Her mother香蕉视频直播檚 decision to stay with Fremlin after learning of the sexual abuse has tarnished the legacy of one of Canada香蕉视频直播檚 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香蕉视频直播檛 feel 香蕉视频直播減articularly traumatized香蕉视频直播 by the incident.
香蕉视频直播淚 never grew up feeling like I did something wrong, ever,香蕉视频直播 she said in a phone interview on Monday. 香蕉视频直播淚 felt like I was completely vindicated, because I was believed, instantly.香蕉视频直播
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. 香蕉视频直播淎side from Alice Munro香蕉视频直播檚 fame, aside from everything, if something happens and your child tells you, then believe them and act accordingly,香蕉视频直播 she said.
It was only after Skinner香蕉视频直播檚 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.
READ ALSO:
Fremlin was a close family friend of Morrey香蕉视频直播檚 parents. They had attended the University of Western Ontario together, along with Alice and Jim Munro, who would become the author香蕉视频直播檚 first husband and the father of her three daughters, including Andrea.
Morrey香蕉视频直播檚 older sister, Marianne Webb, said Fremlin visited their family often, and she doesn香蕉视频直播檛 remember a time when he wasn香蕉视频直播檛 friends with her parents. She said he never acted inappropriately toward her, and she remembers being 香蕉视频直播渒ind of jealous香蕉视频直播 that he would send her little sister postcards from his travels around the world. Now, she sees the behaviour as 香蕉视频直播渟ubtle grooming.香蕉视频直播
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, 香蕉视频直播淚 shouldn香蕉视频直播檛 have flashed my c香蕉视频直播攌 at you.香蕉视频直播
香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檇 never heard adults talk that way or use that kind of word,香蕉视频直播 she said. 香蕉视频直播淢y parents were very clinical about stuff.香蕉视频直播
But Fremlin went on, she remembers. 香蕉视频直播淭hen he said, 香蕉视频直播極K, so you got to see me. Maybe you香蕉视频直播檇 like to show me yours.香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈
At that point, Morrey said, she left the room and woke up her mother to tell her what had happened. 香蕉视频直播淢y mother went berserk when I told her,香蕉视频直播 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香蕉视频直播檚 car drive off.
When they got back, Morrey said, her parents told her Fremlin was never coming back to the house. After that, 香蕉视频直播渢hey just didn香蕉视频直播檛 speak of it again,香蕉视频直播 she said.
Morrey didn香蕉视频直播檛 see Fremlin again until nearly two decades later, at a 1986 launch for one of Munro香蕉视频直播檚 books. Munro and Fremlin had married 10 years earlier. 香蕉视频直播淚 went up to him and I said, 香蕉视频直播榊ou probably don香蕉视频直播檛 recognize me but I香蕉视频直播檓 Jane Webb,香蕉视频直播 and he just looked terrified,香蕉视频直播 she said.
She didn香蕉视频直播檛 confront him about the incident from her childhood, but she wanted to scare him. 香蕉视频直播淗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,香蕉视频直播 she said in an email. 香蕉视频直播淚 guess I wanted to show him that he wasn香蕉视频直播檛 the only person with power.香蕉视频直播
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香蕉视频直播檚 daughters. 香蕉视频直播淚t was always kind of in the back of my mind, but I never really thought about it very much at all until (Skinner香蕉视频直播檚) article,香蕉视频直播 she said.
Now, she hopes other potential victims will feel safe enough to come forward. 香蕉视频直播淎s victims, there香蕉视频直播檚 no shame in it,香蕉视频直播 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香蕉视频直播檚 husband. Both her parents have since died.
香蕉视频直播淭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,香蕉视频直播 Morrey said by email. 香蕉视频直播淗ow he found a wife and at least two friends who could knowingly ignore his abhorrent and criminal behaviour is truly mind-boggling.香蕉视频直播
Ultimately, though, she香蕉视频直播檚 grateful to her mother for doing 香蕉视频直播渢he right thing in the moment,香蕉视频直播 especially when she contrasts her experience with Skinner香蕉视频直播檚.
香蕉视频直播淭hat was probably the most important thing she ever did for me,香蕉视频直播 she said. 香蕉视频直播淭he confidence that it gives you in being believed is so important.香蕉视频直播
Maura Forrest, The Canadian Press