A retired police detective involved in the arrest 20 years ago of the husband of Canadian Nobel laureate Alice Munro, expressed his dismay at Munro's reaction when she learned her husband would be charged for sexually assaulting her daughter. The detective recalled Munro's anger and defense of her husband, despite the accusations made by her daughter.
Munro's daughter, Andrea Robin Skinner, revealed in an essay that she was sexually assaulted by Munro's second husband, Gerard Fremlin, at the age of 9. Skinner detailed ongoing abuse and harassment by Fremlin, which she disclosed to her mother in her 20s. Munro, who left Fremlin briefly but returned to him until his death in 2013, was criticized for not taking action to protect her daughter.
Following Munro's passing at age 92, her reputation as a literary genius was overshadowed by the revelations of her husband's abuse and her complicity in protecting him. The detective involved in the case expressed disbelief at Munro's reaction and questioned why the arrest did not receive media attention at the time.
The news of Munro's husband's abuse and her response has led to a reevaluation of her legacy. Western University, Munro's alma mater, announced a pause in the endowed chair program named after her, citing the need to carefully consider Munro's ties to the institution in light of the abuse revelations.
