1 of 3 sexual abuse lawsuits dropped against former Olympic boss John Furlong

By Thandi Fletcher
Metro News
December 23, 2014

http://metronews.ca/news/vancouver/1247168/accuser-drops-lawsuit-against-former-vancouver-olympic-boss-john-furlong/

John Furlong poses in Toronto on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2013.THE CANADIAN

A woman who claims former Vancouver Olympic CEO John Furlong sexually abused her while he was a teacher in a northern B.C. school has withdrawn her lawsuit.

Beverly Mary Abraham said she decided to drop the civil case after months of careful consideration, saying the stress of the lawsuit was too difficult to bear following the deaths of several relatives this year.

“I was so stressed about everything,” she told Metro from her home in Burns Lake, B.C. “There was a lot of weight on my shoulders.”

Abraham said her brother died four months ago, followed shortly after by her cousin, 16-year-old nephew and daughter-in-law. Her 91-year-old mother has also suffered health problems in recent months, she said.

After speaking with her children, husband and hereditary chief, Abraham decided it was time to let go of the lawsuit.

“They all gave me the same answer,” she said. “Maybe in the long run I might regret it. But right now, I feel that I need to go on with my life instead of it weighing me down.”

A B.C. Supreme Court judge granted Abrahams her request for dismissal Friday.

“Right now, I feel 100 per cent better and I can breathe now,” she said. “I never grieved for my brother, for my cousin, for my nephew and my daughter-in-law, so now I can grieve and I can let go.”

In court documents, Abraham alleged Furlong had sexually molested her 12 times from November 1969 to May 1970 when she was 11. She also alleged Furlong emotionally and psychologically manipulated her, telling her, “You’re my beautiful Indian girl and my protégé,” and that she was his “favourite of all the girls.”

Abraham said she stands by her claims.

The allegations arose after a 2012 Georgia Straight newspaper article written by freelance journalist Laura Robinson alleged Furlong had abused children during his time teaching at Immaculata Elementary in the late 1960s and 1970s.

Furlong is suing Robinson for libel, while she is suing him for defamation.

A statement from Furlong’s lawyer said he has always maintained the allegations from Abraham and two other accusers are false, and an RCMP investigation has also concluded Abraham’s allegations are not supported.