Family of Pickton Victim Marnie Frey Speak ...

Letter to Those Appropriating Her Story for their Cause

Marnie Frey, who was murdered by Robert Pickton, left behind a family who is deeply concerned with how her legacy is being portrayed and used in the media. They do not agree with the use of their daughter's name in the fight to legalize prostitution or to open a brothel. Their letter follows.

It has come to our attention that there is a group of people who wish to legalize prostitution and set up a brothel in Vancouver. As the parents of Marnie Frey, who was murdered by Robert "Willie" Pickton, we believe that both these ideas are very dangerous recommendations.

Our daughter was forced into prostitution because of the need to feed her addiction to drugs. To think of prostitution as a ‘job’ and treat it as such is ridiculous. I am disgusted to think that anyone would think that prostitution is a job. It is not. It is violence against women.

Neither legalizing prostitution nor having a brothel would have prevented the murder of our daughter. The women of the Downtown Eastside need meaningful solutions to their problems. We tried on numerous occasions to have Marnie admitted to drug rehabilitation facilities, but found that to be very difficult because of the chronic lack of beds and funding for such places.

When an addict reaches out for help, the resources should be available immediately. Is the best we can do for these women is give them a safe place to sell their bodies? There is no such thing as a "clean safe place" to be abused.

Marnie did not choose prostitution and any man who bought her body for sexual pleasure should go to jail for exploiting her desperation. What we need are facilities to get women off drugs and keep other young girls from this horrible lifestyle by helping them when they are still young. Anything else would further fuel the abuse.

Marnie's name can be used to fight for more detox beds, more recovery beds, funding for long-term counseling, making it illegal for men to buy the use of women's bodies and enforcing these laws. Her legacy can help in the fight for women's equality, which cannot happen as long as we sell women.

We know we have a lot of support from other families of Pickton's victim's, in the community as well as across our nation, who feel as we do. Prostitution should not be legalized and our daughter's name should not be used in support of this cause. Yours truly,

Rick and Lynn Frey (Parents of Marnie Frey)