Dozens of community members gathered in TuesdayB次元官网网址檚 rain and wind for a sobering hour of tribute to Reena Virk at the place of her death, Kosapsom Park.
It was there that Virk, then 14, was kicked, punched, and eventually drowned in the Gorge Waterway below the old Craigflower Bridge on the night of Nov. 14, 1997. It shocked the nation when it was announced she was murdered by a group of classmates and friends (known as the Shoreline Six which included Kelly Ellard and Warren Glowatski), the oldest of which was 16. The details were gruesome and the conspiring of the teens to keep the murder a secret from authorities and parents for nearly a week caught international attention.
Local organization Artemis Place Society and Learning Through Loss organized TuesdayB次元官网网址檚 tribute.
Minister of Education Rob Fleming outlined the legacy of anti-bullying thatB次元官网网址檚 been deployed in the B.C. school system since then. VirkB次元官网网址檚 father, Manjit, also spoke. He spoke of putting family first and the importance of maintaining a dialogue with children as they reach adolescence and seek independence.
B次元官网网址淲e know there will be times when these things will happen but letB次元官网网址檚 look at our own family situations,B次元官网网址� Manjit said. B次元官网网址淲hat our kids learn in the family stays with them.
B次元官网网址淩eena was protected, she was raised with love and kindness [and] she was trusting. When she went to school she had a hard time, people bullied her, people thought she was different [and] she was very puzzled. Why would people pick on her. We always told her, this is part of life, people have different values, theyB次元官网网址檒l mistreat you, be kind to them, talk to teachers, talk to us.B次元官网网址�
But Reena was at a crucial time in her young life, seeking independence from her parents, which is a natural thing, Manjit confirmed.
B次元官网网址淪he wanted to hang out with these girls [and] as parents we were really concerned. We knew she was a very trusting person. They told her the story, B次元官网网址榃eB次元官网网址檙e your friends,B次元官网网址� but at the same time she was afraid of them.B次元官网网址�
ReenaB次元官网网址檚 death resonated with people internationally. In the time since, Manjit and Suman (ReenaB次元官网网址檚 mother) have been dedicated to several causes and across the province, the Virk name has been affiliated with anti-violence and anti-bullying.
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B次元官网网址淩eenaB次元官网网址檚 life did not go in vain,B次元官网网址� Manjit said Tuesday, pointing to the many anti-bully programs and awareness now in place.
The murder and its cover-up certainly stunned Staff Sgt. Chris Horsley and the Saanich Police. Horsley was only three years into the job when he handled the media relations role for Saanich Police at the time.
B次元官网网址淭here were murders in Saanich but not one of this magnitude, who happened to be girls,B次元官网网址� Horsley said Tuesday.
Within 24 hours the news of the murder, which took a week to get out, had gone international. It changed the department and was a catalyst for many of the programs Saanich Police runs today, Horsley said.
B次元官网网址淲e have a Community Engagement division, youth investigators, a bike squad, school liaisons, and all work hard on crime prevention programs which B次元官网网址� take years to see those benefits,B次元官网网址� Horsley said. B次元官网网址滿y own daughter, born two days after ReenaB次元官网网址檚 death, went through the school system, and one of her assignments was to read the book about Reena Virk. That was a barometer for me.B次元官网网址�
Ten years after the murder of Reena her dad recounted it in a book . It told of ReenaB次元官网网址檚 upbringing and also included just how cruel the final moments of ReenaB次元官网网址檚 life were.
B次元官网网址淢y message is to keep the family together, have strong family ties, do things with one another, now we live in a world onlineB次元官网网址�,B次元官网网址� Manjit said. B次元官网网址淧ut the [devices] down and spend time with one another.B次元官网网址�
In 2005, SaanichB次元官网网址檚 Rebecca Godfrey also published a book, with an investigative journalist look at how a group of youth turned so violent, called
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