Jane Morrey, the second woman to accuse Alice Munro’s late husband, Gerald Fremlin, of sexual misconduct, hopes her story will encourage parents to believe their children.
When Jane was nine, Fremlin exposed himself to her while staying at her family’s home in Toronto, years before he married Munro. Fifty-five years later, Jane decided to speak out after learning that Fremlin had also abused Munro’s daughter, Andrea Robin Skinner, when she was nine.
Jane, now 64 years old, says her experience was different from Andrea’s. While Andrea continued to face abuse from Fremlin after her mother chose to stay with him, Jane’s mother immediately threw Fremlin out of the house, and Jane never saw him again until she was an adult.
Jane hopes that by sharing her story, other parents will understand the importance of acting decisively when their children report abuse.
After Andrea’s essay was published, it was revealed that Fremlin, who died in 2013, had pleaded guilty in 2005 to indecently assaulting Andrea. Fremlin had been a close family friend of Jane’s parents, who attended university with him and Alice Munro’s first husband, Jim Munro.
Jane’s older sister, Marianne Webb, remembers Fremlin visiting their family often and sending postcards to Jane, which now seems like “subtle grooming.” Jane recalls how she saw Fremlin as an uncle figure until the incident in 1969 when he exposed himself to her and made inappropriate comments.
Jane’s mother immediately believed her and took action, ensuring Fremlin never returned to their home. Jane saw him again nearly two decades later at one of Munro’s book launches but didn’t confront him about the past, though she wanted him to feel afraid.
Jane has not spoken with Andrea, but she always wondered if Fremlin had other victims. She hopes her story will encourage other potential victims to come forward without shame.
Years after the incident, Jane’s mother briefly rekindled a friendship with Fremlin, and Jane suspects her father may have also maintained a quiet friendship with him. Despite this, Jane is grateful to her mother for acting decisively when it mattered most.
Jane believes that her mother’s immediate action and belief in her story were crucial in giving her confidence and preventing further trauma.