Illustration Acceptance

On Monday, March 5th, 2001, John Faine and his co-host on the Conversation Hour were talking with Estelle Blackburn, who had published a book, Broken Lives: the story of John Button. At the age of 19 John was arrested, tried and convicted of running down and killing his fiancée. He served five years in prison. Then evidence emerged showing he was innocent. The forensic investigation was poor. The public prosecutor, a young lawyer by the name of Ronald Wilson, was, it is said, unduly aggressive.

Once he was released, Button went through hell. He suffered the depths of depression. He attempted suicide. But he went on to marry a woman of deep Christian faith.

In due course after resisting the idea of becoming a Christian for years, he became a deeply committed and accepting Christian.

Estelle Blackburn said that she wanted to shout at him, “Get angry.” But that’s not his way: he sees no point in getting angry.

When he met Ronald Wilson, former High Court Justice, President of the national Assembly of the Uniting Church, and the Commissioner who brought out the “stolen children” report, Bringing Them Home, at a church meeting, Button merely said, that he was happy it has happened that way, because it was “part of God’s plan for my life!”