The true crime drama inspired by the murder of British Columbia teenager Rena Virk in 1997 causes "significant harm" to the victim and her family and community, says a retired police officer who worked on the original investigation of the case.

The Disney Plus limited series "Under the Bridge," which premieres on Wednesday, focuses on the real-life story of Virk, who was 14 years old when she was beaten and killed by a group of teenagers in Saanich, British Columbia, and then dumped in a waterway.

Retired Sergeant Chris Horsley, who served as a media liaison for the Saanich Police Department during the Virk case, said he has not seen any episodes but worries about whether the show harms accuracy for "dramatic effect."

He said over the phone from Victoria, "It's a bit sad because there are so many significant traumas in the actual investigation."

But it's produced by Hollywood, right? Unfortunately, it was made in memory of someone who was actually murdered here. So I probably won't watch the TV series.

Lily Gladstone and Riley Keough play a police officer and a writer in Saanich investigating Virk's death, with Keough portraying a version of the late author Rebecca Godfrey, whose book "Under the Bridge," published in 2005 and centering on Virk’s murder, serves as the basis for the show.

Horsley added that none of the detectives involved in the Virk case heard anything from the production team of "Under the Bridge" while the series was being developed, and a spokesperson for the Saanich Police Department said they were not consulted.

"The moment production strays from the truth and begins to shift to fiction, I think that represents significant harm not only to Rena and her memory but also to the people who worked on the case and those who were part of the community here," he added, noting that many anti-violence programs were launched in the Greater Victoria area following Virk's murder.

Publicity officials for the production with Disney Plus Canada did not respond to a request for comment.

Horsley said that Virk's death is, to this day, "the biggest media story" Saanich has ever seen.

"It was incredibly unique, not only with young male offenders but young female offenders committing such a level of violence. I don't think it was something we had at that point."

The preview episodes depict Godfrey, who was involved in producing the series with creator Quinn Shephard before her death in 2022, as engaging with police in the investigation, whereas Horsley says that was not the case.

"That never happened at all, and she did not write the book for a long time after the incident."

In the series, Virk's uncle and father, played by Anup Desai and Ezra Farooq Khan, visit the police station to report the girl's disappearance but the officers do not take it seriously.

Horsley also disputes this, saying that school officials reported her missing and that Virk was living in a group home at the time due to her troubled relationship with her parents.

He adds that Virk's family had an "excellent working relationship" with the police.

According to documents released by the Parole Board of Canada last month, Kelly Ellard, Virk's killer, who changed her name to Kerry Sim, told her case managers that it is "so horrific" that the series "will re-victimize the victim's family."

Horsley said he expects that many more people than those directly connected to the case will be impacted by the series.

He added, "It's not just the family that will be shocked again. I believe Rena's friends and others who lived in the community were affected by the murder as well."

"The vast majority of the viewing audience does not have that personal connection, but here in Victoria, there are many people who do have that connection. It's been 27 years, but there are still many people in Victoria affected by this murder."

Horsley expressed his dismay at the proliferation of true crime shows "that are loosely based on real events."

He said, "The tragedy for me is that they are loosely based on real victims."

"These are real people who have had families murdered, and a lot of people are watching for entertainment value."