Suman Virk, mother of murdered teenager Reena Virk, died in “tragic accident”

The mother of a British Columbia teenager murdered 20 years ago has died.

Suman Virk, the mother of Reena Virk, died on Saturday in what the family called a “tragic accident”. She was 58 years old.

A family member confirmed her death to CBC on Monday, but declined to comment further on the circumstances.

It has been 20 years since 14-year-old Reena Virk was beaten and drowned by her peers.

The teenager's death sparked nationwide campaigns against bullying, and her family turned their grief into a national campaign.

Suman and her husband Manjit became advocates for inclusion.

They shared their story in schools across Canada and worked to transform their daughter's legacy into something that would help other teenagers.

“I think education is the key,” Suman told CBC in 2010.

“We need to talk about these things, and that's exactly what we're doing – helping others who experience tragedy.”

Around 200 people gathered at the Gorge Waterway in Victoria to mark the 20th anniversary of Reena's death in November. The site was the beach where Reena was attacked.

At the ceremony, Reena's father Manjit said he and Suman were worried at the time of her death because their daughter had difficulty being accepted by her peers.

Six girls were sentenced to prison terms of up to one year for bodily harm.

Warren Glowatski and Kelly Ellard were convicted of first-degree murder for drowning Reena after the other girls beat her.

Ellard remains in prison with a suspended sentence.

Glowatski took part in rehabilitation courses in prison and works as a mentor with young people who are at risk of becoming criminals.

Suman and her husband Manjit met Glowatski several times while he was behind bars.

They supported his parole application and attended the hearing in 2007 to show their support.

“We would have hoped that someone would have learned something from the whole thing,” Suman told reporters after the hearing.

Glowatski told Suman and Manjit that he strives to be “as caring and selfless” as they are.

A private memorial service for Suman will be held in Victoria this weekend.

With files from Liz McArthur and the Canadian Press

Read more from CBC British Columbia