Alice Munro’s Daughter Reveals Family Secret of Sexual Abuse

The daughter of Nobel prize winner Alice Munro, Andrea Robin Skinner, has alleged that her stepfather sexually abused her as a child and that her mother stayed with him even after he admitted to the abuse.

Skinner recounted harrowing details of the abuse, revealing that it began in 1976 when she was just nine years old and Fremlin, who was in his 50s at the time, allegedly began sexually assaulting her. The incidents reportedly occurred at her mother’s home in Clinton, Ontario, where Fremlin allegedly entered her bed and subjected her to sexual assault. Skinner disclosed that despite confiding in her father, James Munro, he did not relay this information to Alice Munro.

As Skinner grew older, she asserted that Fremlin continued to make inappropriate advances, expose himself to her, and discuss disturbing topics involving young girls in their neighbourhood. Although the physical abuse reportedly ceased when she reached her teenage years, Skinner disclosed enduring psychological and physical effects, including bulimia, insomnia, and migraines, which she attributed to the trauma inflicted upon her during her formative years.

Skinner also addressed the complex familial dynamics, revealing that her mother, Alice Munro, chose to remain with Fremlin even after he allegedly admitted to the abuse.