Furlong Says Rcmp Unable to Confirm Abuse in One Claim

By Matthew Robinson
The Vancouver Sun
October 29, 2013

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Furlong+says+RCMP+unable+confirm+abuse+claim/9095333/story.html

John Furlong went on a media offensive Monday to proclaim his innocence as a police investigation into claims of abuse against his former students continues.

In television interviews, the organizer of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics shared a letter he said RCMP sent him in the spring stating they were unable to substantiate one of the complainants' claims of sexual abuse. But RCMP Sgt. Rob Vermeulen would not confirm police were finished with that claim - levelled by Beverly Abraham - and said the overall investigation remains open.

"Due to the serious and sensitive nature of the allegations, earlier this year we asked for an independent review of our complete investigation by major crime investigators from another province," said Sgt. Vermeulen in an email. "That review resulted in a number of investigative recommendations that we continue to follow up on."

The allegations against Furlong surfaced following an article, published last fall in the Georgia Straight, suggesting he physically and verbally abused First Nations students at Burns Lake while teaching at a Catholic school there in the late 1960s.

In July, Abraham and Grace West filed separate lawsuits against Furlong alleging sexual abuse, and a third lawsuit was filed last month by a man who said he, too, was sexually abused. None of the claims from the three lawsuits have been proven in court.

Furlong said Monday in an interview with Global News that he was stunned when the first allegation of abuse came in. "The last year has been like living in hell," Furlong said, adding that he had been in a post-Olympic glow at the conclusion of the Games.

"Then this happened," he said. "At the time I thought (the allegation) would go away quickly because there's no truth to this and so I just thought naively that it will just end ... instead of ending, it got worse."

A call to Furlong's lawyer was referred to TwentyTen Group, a marketing agency led by former Vanoc executives. A TwentyTen spokeswoman said Furlong wasn't available for comment.

Furlong's media appearances come in advance of a scheduled speaking engagement at the TwentyTen-hosted XL Leadership Summit in February, a pricey event billed as an opportunity to meet with difference makers and trailblazers in business and sport.

The timing also coincides with the 100-day countdown to the beginning of the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. Demand for Olympic speakers will climb over the next three months, peaking during the Games in February.

Lawyer Jason Gratl, who represents all the plaintiffs, says the RCMP contacted Abraham two weeks ago and informed her the investigation was over. Gratl said his clients' civil cases against Furlong would proceed despite the letter he produced.