Jonty Bush on Australian Story

Last Monday night’s episode of Australian Story was particularly inspiring.  It dealt with the story of Jonty Bush who was named 2009 Young Australian of the Year.  It’s a complex story.  Jonty’s sister, who was the mother of a young child, was viciously murdered by a boyfriend.  Then not long after, her father died after being punched by a member of her sister’s child’s family. 

“Queenslander Jonty Bush showed inspirational courage and strength after senseless violence brought tragedy to her family. When Jonty was twenty-one her younger sister was murdered and a few months later her father died after being punched in an unprovoked attack. Jonty chose to deal with her grief proactively and joined the Queensland Homicide Victim’s Support Group as a volunteer. Her compassion for other victims and commitment to justice eventually led to her appointment as Chief Executive Officer of the organisation. After her father’s attacker was acquitted of manslaughter, Jonty pioneered the successful ‘One Punch Can Kill’ educational campaign, which was adopted by the Queensland Government in 2007. She also lobbied successfully for a review of murder and manslaughter laws in Queensland.  Accepting her 2009 Young Australian of the Year award, Jonty said, ‘victim was a title that was bestowed on me but has never become a way of life.’”

Jonty now works for the Department of Justice in victims support.  Additionally she is doing a Masters of Criminology and she also does some university teaching.  She was also recently appointed as one of the six community-based representatives on the Queensland Sentencing Advisory Council.

Jonty’s story is about many things but mostly it’s about her journey to forgiveness.  Not just for her own sake, but for the sake of her family. She maintains contact with her niece who lives with the family of the man who killed her father.

“It put me so far out of my comfort zone it did really encourage me to look at well "How do I get through this for her?" I think if I didn't have that, I wouldn't have looked for a reason to move through anything. I would have been quite stuck in just how angry I felt.

But certainly over the years it has required a lot of work, I think a lot of forgiveness, a lot of communication from both sides. I think there's two families that have had to really work together. At the moment I don't wish for anything bad to happen to him or his family. If I found out that he won a million dollars tomorrow on Tattslotto I can sincerely say I don't care what happens to him and that took me a long time and this is exactly where I wanted to be and I'm really proud to be at this place.”

An amazing, strong young woman who is an inspiration and yes, a hero.  Her struggle and eventual success in reaching a place of forgiveness is a lesson to us all.  It was hard road for her.  It took sacrifice. I can only aspire to that kind of strength of character.

Watch Jonty Bush on Australian Story here.....
http://www.abc.net.au/austory/specials/trialsofjontybush/default.htm