Welcome

My name is Andrea Robin Skinner.

I am a mother, sister, friend, artist, horse lover, meditation guide, and survivor of childhood sexual abuse. 

On July 7th, 2024, I had an essay published in The Toronto Star, in which I revealed that I been sexually abused by my stepfather, Gerald Fremlin. I wrote that though I had tried many times to break the silence around my trauma, both my stepfather and my mother, Alice Munro (who stayed with him), were protected from any meaningful accountability, leaving me adrift in a world that didn’t make sense.

The toll of the abuse and silence was a driving force in my life right up to that day of the essay’s publication, and continues still, though not as forcefully. Though I had tried to tell my story publicly before, some part of me was frightened that I would lose all connection, all sense of belonging, by exposing the truth. I was so surprised and happy when the essay came out, because people believed me and understood the importance of speaking up.  

I feel connected to others now on a scale I’d never dreamed possible. The shadow side of this connection, however, is how many people relate to my story because of their own experience of sexual abuse. Most also experienced forms of denial and silence around the crime. As terrible as my story is, it is also typical and highlights an all-too-familiar pattern.

Children are being sexually abused right now. The patterns of silencing continue. We need to keep talking about this. We need more voices to normalize protecting children rather than abandoning them. 

I’ve created this website as a home for the story of me and my family – from our pain and isolation, to our healing and continuing evolution – in order to help others feel less alone. To feel inspired to keep going. And to encourage us all to protect the children in our lives.

Alone, we suffer. Together, we can create real change.