By Emily Goddard

John Furlong has been fully exonerated of all sexual abuse allegations ©Getty ImagesJohn Furlong, the former President and chief executive of Vancouver 2010, has said he is ready to move on with his life after the third and final sexual assault lawsuit against him was dropped when the complainant failed to appear in court.

The allegations were dismissed by a British Columbia Supreme Court judge when complainant Daniel Morice, who claimed Furlong had abused him while he was a teacher at Immaculata Elementary School in the late 1960s, failed to appear in court and tried to adjourn the trial over the phone.

The court heard how Furlong had sworn under oath that he never assaulted Morice and could not recall ever meeting him.

Furlong had always strongly denied any wrongdoing and this latest development means the former Olympic and Paralympic Games organising committee chief is fully exonerated of all allegations with all three of the cases brought against him either being abandoned or dismissed.

Justice Miriam Gropper ruled that Grace West's claims against Furlong were bogus, citing school records which indicated she never attended the school, in February, while Beverly Abraham dropped her lawsuit in December, claiming it was causing her too much stress.

Furlong said he was grateful that "the truth and innocence has prevailed."

John Furlong was the President and chief executive of Vancouver 2010 ©Getty ImagesJohn Furlong was the President and chief executive of Vancouver 2010 ©Getty Images



"With this horrible nightmare behind me it is time now to move on," he added.

"It is extraordinary and unacceptable that anyone can make ruinous, toxic allegations against a citizen, put them on the public records via the courts, and then abandon them with impunity, seemingly without consequences, and leaving untold damage and pain behind."

Furlong also announced he is dropping the defamation lawsuit he filed against journalist Laura Robinson, who brought the allegations against him to light in an article for the Georgia Straight newspaper in 2012 and launched a defamation suit of her own against Furlong for allegedly damaging her reputation.

"In an ideal world we would all move on and this matter would be finally completed," said Furlong's lawyer John Hunter.

"But that really becomes up to Miss Robinson at this stage."

However, Robinson has indicated she will continue pressing ahead with her court action to prove her journalistic credibility because her reporting was "responsible and appropriate".

"I stand by the work I did," she said.

"My suit is about an attack on my integrity and professional conduct as a journalist."

Furlong is now set to face Robinson in court in June.

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